


Cry Little Sister

by NoraMutaoFrost



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Dane AU, F/M, stand alone fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 55
Words: 39,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26034184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoraMutaoFrost/pseuds/NoraMutaoFrost
Summary: Book 2: Dane AU: Dane and Danny return to Ninjago to find that two years have gone by and their Ninjago is marked by war, and pollution. To top it all off Danny is pregnant and someone will go to great lengths to obtain this new type of species.
Relationships: Dareth/Danny
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

Authors Notes: This is book 2. If you want to read book one it starts with 'Rainbow Machine'

Glass, Dane, and Archie are owned by Grumpy-Zane

Spencer, Inky, Danny, and Midnight are owned by me.

Please read and review

Book 2: Two Steps from Hell

Part 1: Cry Little Sister

Chapter 1

Back in

Just like a knife through vinyl the portal opened and Dane stepped through. Looking one way and then the other. He reached out and took Danny's hand and then she followed through. It closed behind them.

Dane nodded knowing where they were now. At least they were able to find a rift that would take them home. He looked up at Danny who seemed very tired after all that excitement. They had only been there for four months, but if Kino was right. Time might have passed a bit more on their Ninjago, or past very little as to say a few seconds had passed. That would be lovely.

However, the latter may not be the case.

The skies were a murky green color. Danny looked down at her phone and gasped. Two years had passed since they had touched ground there. Her phone began to ring off the hook. Message after message went through. Dane could feel Zanes phone in his pocket doing the same thing. Danny looked over the news on her phone and gasped.

"War…?" She looked up at Dane who shook his head.

"It's fine, Danny. It says that it's over now and…"

"Humans have been pushed out of the city because of noxious gases, pollution, and disease." She had to sit down before she fainted.

Dane looked on at Danny, he could feel her panic from the link.

"Here...lets go find you something warm to drink huh?" Dane took Danny's hand and walked her toward a diner that he saw. She sat down in a booth and put her head in her hands. She could feel Dane rubbing her back. She was so glad she had him. She would have freaked out long ago. Dane had realized that Danny didn't take to change very well when they were in the other realm. Dane watched as the waitress brought over some water and placed it down in front of them.

"She ain't gonna be sick is she?" The woman ran her hands down her apron. Dane shook his head and sighed.

"Just got some bad news." It was true. He couldn't lie to begin with. Danny sipped the water slowly as she ordered an omelet and waited. Dane didn't eat food too often. Mostly out of habit, or to give Zane something to put on his stomach, but mostly he forgot. Sometimes he even forgot to breath.

"What...are you?" A guy at the counter asked leaning over looking at Dane.

"I'm Dane the great." Dane smiled at him.

"Yeah but...what are you?" the man tapped his finger on the counter with each syllable.

"If you look up his barcode. I created him." Danny said. Of course it was true. The code would tell them that she made him, but that was only a quarter of the truth. She rebuilt half of him. Dareth, the master of melding after his real creator. He had been destroyed after an accident. The other half of him was her brother. The implant in the back of Danny's neck forcefully placed there connected her and Dane together. He can feel her emotions and a little of her pain. Sometimes at night if they try a little harder they can talk to one another through their mind. But Danny always ended up with a bad headache afterwards.

"So you're one of those droid lovers." Oh no...here they go. Danny looked up at the man and scooted a little closer to Dane who put his arm around her. She was scared.

"Now...Now there's no need for us to be mean to one another. How about I buy you a piece of pie and we forget this conversation?" Dane leaned over the counter and smiled at the man. The man hit the counter and stomped over to Dane.

"What makes you think Imma be bought that easily!" He threw a punch and hit Dane across the jaw. Oh no...bad move. He felt Danny cringe.


	2. hot

Authors Notes: You should expect one chapter a week. I'm already done with it. So the only reason for it not to is if ffn is being mean...again. Or if I've just forgotten...sick.

Please read and review

Cry Little Sister

Chapter 2

Hot

Oh that sounded like it hurt. Dane looked down at Danny who had her small hand over her mouth. The guy was dancing around, making all sorts of noises. Some even sounded almost like coherent curse words before turning and looking at Dane. Sweat beading up on his forehead.

"My fingers are broke, its your fault." He yelled pointing at his hand. The fingers indeed looked as if they were in odd directions making Danny want to barf. There was a reason why she stopped wanting to become a human doctor.

Danny swallowed the coffee she had just attempted to drink a little roughly

"Beg your pardon Seth...but it was your fingers hitting his face, not the other way around." The waitress gasped when he tried to throw a punch at the waitress who shouted and jumped back. Dane was part nindroid and couldn't swing at the man. But he didn't like that this man tried to hit a lady. Especially one that didn't do anything except speak the truth. He stood up and pointed at him.

"Now...Now see here. We don't have to start anything here sir. We can solve this peacefully and…" He sighed as Seth once again held his hand. "Now stop that. You're only gonna make it worse." The guy had obviously hit him once again.

"Come on Dane, Let's just go…" Nope that was it. People were throwing punches. Flipping tables, and of course hitting one another with whatever they could reach. Dane looked down at Seth who was knocked unconscious by the waitress and her tray. She reached up and held out some keys to Danny.

"Now you two climb into that blue pick up out there. It's Seths, but once he sobers up he won't mind." She watched as the two ran from the bar and out into the parking lot. Danny groaned and motioned to the pick up.

"Oh no. Those kinds of trucks are horrible on ga…" Danny gasped as she climbed in and Dane got in the back.

"Come on babe...we just gotta get home." Dane sat back and rubbed his jaw. Danny opened the back window so she could talk to him.

"You okay?" She asked. She could see his hair flicking around in the wind.

"Yeah...but...some humans are…" He swallowed and sighed looking around at her.

"Pig headed, narcissistic, bossy, dicy…" She realized she was getting angry. Oh she was angry, but she had been given a good reason not to like humans, and droids alike. If it weren't for her father who was human to have placed that implant at the base of her spine she would be able to hide the fact.

"Yeah…" Dane sighed.

'She's sad.' Dareth said.

'She misses ya buddy. You haven't been around since well...since before the night in Borg tower where you and Danny had that date night.' Zane told Dareth who was locked up tightly within Danes mind.

"Danny…?" Dane asked. Danny didn't answer. She just pulled up to the purple house that belonged to her grandparents.

"What are we doing here?" Dane climbed down. The ground shook as he landed.

"I'm exhausted Dane. We're here to rest before we go into the city." She broke the knob off the door and stepped inside. Dane followed Zanes' direction into the kitchen.

"Well there's no food here. We'll have t…" He looked out into the living room. Danny had curled up on the couch. As she was trying to take her shoes off and fell asleep.

"She's been sleeping a lot lately." Dane said. There was a loud pop that caused Danny to mumble something and roll over. Dareth reached down and picked her up gently in his arms.

"Zane...can you lead me to a room where she may rest?" Dareth asked. Zane pointed to the stairs.

"Yeah sure. That way." He led Dareth up the stairs and into the first room which once was his grandparents room.

"Big enough bed for the both of you." He watched Dareth lay Danny down and pull the blankets up to her chin.

"I am...scared." He told Zane. Zane gave him a knowing smile. Things happened in the other ninjago. That wouldn't have happened here. One of which finding a blueprint for something..

"I know Dareth. I am too...but it was her choice...your choice. This is something you two have wanted for a little while now. Although...now you are able to have it together. A life."

"I thought she would be alright here...but this…" Dareth ran his fingers over Dannys hand and rested it on her midsection. "This war. Does it prove that she and I weren't meant to be?"

Zane sighed and shook his head.

"Dareth, your love for my sister proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is hope. You both can be happy together...and no...you have someone to share with that. Soon, this baby will be born...and she'll have to fight this battle too. Yes she'll have to fight...but she'll have help. She won't be alone. Never alone." Zane pulled Dareth into a hug. The loud pop and Dane sat there again looking down at Danny. A smile on his face.

"So that's what's going on? Hiding secrets from me?"


	3. Gardens Calling

Authors Notes: I can totally dump this at any time. I just finished part 2. Tell me if you want a me to dump all the chapters.

Please read and review

Cry Little Sister

Chapter 3

Gardens Calling

Dane slowly opened his eyes. Having fallen asleep under a tree. His straw hat over his eyes. He had been gardening a bit. Picking out a few things they could take with them for Danny. The memory of the day before gave him such a big smile. He could feel the pride within Dareth, as well as the fear.

"Don't you worry ya big oaf. She loves you to pieces." He stood up and stretched. A loud yawn escaping him. He looked around the garden spotting Danny sitting down across from the tomatoes. She didn't normally eat them raw. But she had a half eaten one in her hand. Dane chuckled and kneeled down. She ran her wrist over her chin.

"I couldn't help myself. I guess I just really wanted it." She said. Dane helped her up and kissed her forehead.

"I ain't arguing sweetheart. If you're hungry that baby is too. Besides, tomatoes are healthy." He picked up the small basket of veggies she had collected.

"I thought I collected enough to take with us. He looked at the back of the truck which was full of different baskets of veggies and a basket of apples too.

"Oh these are for dinner. Want some pasta." She said and walked over to the small sink that sat against the house. He saw the squash, turnips, and onions. It actually got his mouth watering. He didn't eat much, but wow those looked so good.

Danny lay the tomatoes, carrots, and herbs with them and started to wash them.

"I kind of wish we had some strawberries though. But they never grew here. Gran tried though. Its why she decided to grow the apples, and peaches instead." She motioned to the apple and peach groves.

"Bet you aren't arguing. I was told that Zane would find you in the trees all the time eating them." Danny laughed at the memory.

"Yes he did. It's also how I broke my first bone." She knocked on the wooden banister. "He freaked out so bad. It…" She frowned and swallowed a little harder than she wanted. Dane could hear it. He felt the sadness in her and pulled her into his arms.

"Yeah, I know. Zane said his dad came running and took you to the hospital nearby."

"I n…" Danny sighed and shook her head. "He was a bad man...same as my real dad. I wonder if its just a…" She paused and walked back over to the veggies.

"Danny…?" Dane questioned. She shook her head and ran her finger over her cheek.

"Never you mind, Now...go inside and start chopping up these tomatoes and onions and put them in the oven." She told him.

"Oven? You want to bruise them?" Danny jumped and looked around at a droid wearing sunglasses and her purple hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. Her sun dress seemed to be draped over her like sunlight. The sandals along her feet were perfect. Now only if Midnight could hide the scaring.

"Midnight!" Danny walked forward and hugged her. Midnight gasped and looked down at the very small bump along her midsection.

"What is that!?" She looked around at Archie who was leaning against the car. He stood up and looked at her suspiciously.

"Is that why you called us? My brother didn't leave you did he?" He looked up hearing the loud pop and Dareth crossed his arms.

"I would never. She is my wife."

"Wife?" Midnight gasped.

"How long were you in that realm?" Midnight asked, picking up the basket obviously deciding to cook dinner instead.

"4 months technically." Zane walked into the house. The others followed.

"Hopefully she doesn't let him cook. Zanes cooking is horrible. Coles is way better." Danny whispered. Dareth cleared his throat and picked up Danny. He looked up at his brother.

"I would like to introduce you to your niece or nephew." Dareth smiled. Archie just gave him an odd look.

"This is...awkward." He said. Danny burst out laughing.

"Yes I know. Its so strange to feel something kicking you when you're doing nothing but eating tomatoes. Almost like they're knocking on the door like 'hey mom what about that too!'' She cleared her throat and blushed. "Sorry…" Archie chuckled and patted her hand.

"But it is good to know that you two have found one another. Having a...sister is a new experience. But...have you told father?" Dareth growled.

"Tried calling him. He hasn't answered the phone."

"So I guess that's our next destination." Danny hopped down and went into the kitchen carrying the much smaller basket.

"I think she has food on the brain." Archie said. Dareth chuckled.

"Nothings going to stop her now."


	4. Milk

Authors Notes: I'm already finished with part 2 and five chapters into part 3. So these are going fast.

Please read and review

Cry Little Sister

Chapter 4

Milk

Whistling broke the silence throughout the farm. Along one side was the chicken coop. Dane walked out and gathered the eggs into a basket and set them outside in a bucket of water. Walking into the barn he looked around. A goose honked softly as he gathered its babies for a swim in the pond.

Dane opened the gates and smiled at the cow.

"Alright Betsy...or whatever your name is. I'm Dane and I'll be milking you today." He tipped his straw hat at her before sitting the stool down and putting a bucket under her. Reaching under to start he didn't realize just how cold his hands were before the cow kicked him and threw a fit in the stall. Dane threw open the doors and ran.

"Not a nice cow!" He yelled as the cow chased him. "Danny!"

Archie looked out of the garage running the cloth over his knuckles.

"Are you going to help him?" Danny asked. Archie sighed and looked over the truck's roof.

"Nope."

Dr. Spencer wasn't a bad woman. Actually she loved her kids to pieces. What she did know is that her daughter had gone missing and she had gone looking for her. She had returned and Glass hadn't reported anything at all with her. So there she was looking over Glasses house. The door was open as usual. The screen door was the only thing blocking her way. Pulling the latch and walking in. She noticed the house was a lot like it usually was. Dirty. The sandbag he normally used on chemical fires or grease stains had fallen over and made a huge mess on the floor.

"Hey old timer! Your sand is everywhere." She called out. Not an answer. Perhaps he stepped out for a bit? She looked into the rooms and stopped at one. Draped over the bed was Glass.

"Hey...you okay?" She had come here to argue with him about not checking in. But here was the reason why. Glass slowly turned his head and coughed. Spent oil drizzling down his chin. Spencer pulled out a cloth and dabbed his chin.

"M-My memor-r-ry is going. But I sti-i-ill know you." He smiled up at her. His bronzed teeth were blackened from the oil. Spencer shook her head, noticing the answering machine. She tapped it. Of course her angry voice was the first one and second...and also the third one. She closed her eyes at least until she heard Danes' voice.

"Hey uh Glass. Just called to let you know we fell back into this realm and we'll be swinging by soon. In about a week. Archie's fixing the truck. We're at Danny's grandparents house now. Although she's eating up a storm. There goes another bushel of apples." Dane sighed and chuckled. They could hear a shuffle. "She and Dareth got married over in the other realm, and surprise, surprise...pregnant. I know. Its odd...but apparently they have technology in that realm to help humans and droids coexist together in a balance. It caused Dareth and Danny's relationship to bloom. So you're a grandfather." The machine beeped. "Oh shoot...um...three more days Glass. Promise. We'll go by." the phone hung up and they lapsed into a silence. Spencer felt Glasses hand in hers.

"Grandparents huh? Again?...uh...ignore that." He took a deep breath, trying to cool his systems.

"I suppose so." Spencer looked slightly confused and watched him take another breath that was slightly harder this time.

"I know I'm not the real Glass, he's somewhere else.. but Plexi and Favrile, they're good at holding up a front. Favrile wants to leave.. Plexi wants to be useful. Take them. Leave me here." He moved his chest plate out of the way and looked up at Spencer. Spencer nodded and reached out and plucked the jewels from their spot before putting them into a small pouch in her pocket.

"I will say your goodbyes Glass. Rest well." the lights in his eyes flared out of existence. She picked him up and walked him into the junk yard grabbing a shovel and started to dig.


	5. Visitors

Authors Notes: Halfway done with the first one. But I've got three parts done.

Please read and review

Cry Little Sister

Chapter 5

Visitors

Danny had curled up into a ball that night. The night air was beginning to get colder. She felt the heavy hand on her midsection. Dareth didn't sleep, but he did tend to power down and recharge his batteries. She had to put new batteries in when she was in the other realm so those batteries were incredible. Even hers weren't as good yet.

"You need to sleep." The voice whispered. She turned over and looked at Dareth.

"I know, theirs lots of things going through my head and none of them are going the help me sleep." She put her head against Dareths chest. His pump was like a lullaby to her. He felt her jump and he closed his eyes. For a moment there he thought...A small smile spread across his face.

"I think someones saying hi." She sat up straight and put her hand on her forehead and looked around at Dareth. She got up and headed out the bedroom door.

"Sand...and maybe charcoal...do we have any charcoal? Theirs a mineral depot…" Her voice disappeared as she went down the stairs. Dareth wasn't totally sure what had just happened. But he heard a door open and Midnight peeked out.

"Sand? Charcoal?" Her hair was pulled up in braided pigtails. "Those are some wild cravings for a hybrid. She giggled watching Danny pick up the keys. Dareth unhooked himself from the generator and raced downstairs.

"Danny, no. You shouldn't leave in the middle of the night. No one is open. We're living in the town the time forgot." Well it was true. The only store nearby was a mom and pop shop and they sold pretty much anything a farmer could spare.

"Then we'll go into the city." She said and climbed into the truck. She put the keys in and grumbled when it didn't start up. She growled and crossed her arms.

"No fair...I thought Archie fixed it." She looked like a 3 year old who didn't' get to go to McDonalds. Dareth chuckled and picked her up not wanting her to feel like he wasn't listening. He cradled her to him and put his forehead to hers.

"We can go in the morning. Besides...you are still in your nightgown." Danny looked down and blushed. Zane walked over, placing a robe over her. Now that she thought of it. It was rather cold outside.

"Now that you mention it. I mean Dareth and I could sneak into the mineral depository." Archie said popping the truck and putting the battery back in. "Its fixed, but you can't go anywhere if the battery isn't charged. I had to check to make sure it would hold one." He turned the truck on and looked at Dareth. He crossed his arms and glared at his brother.

"Nothing is going to make me move from this spot Archie. Not a damned thing you say could make me disobey the law and climb into that vehicle with you." Dareth reached over to close the passenger door.

There was a loud growl that came from behind him. At first he thought it might have been Betsy back for round two. But he looked at Danny whose cheeks were pink.

"Sorry…" She cleared her throat and ran her fingers over her midsection. Dareth sighed and looked up at his brother climbing into the truck.

"Fine, but if we get caught...I'm telling them it was your dumb idea." He told Archie who shrugged.

"Fine with me. All I know is that my niece is in need of building materials. As her uncle I must obliged." He turned the truck onto the road. Danny felt an arm around her waist. Danny went to go inside only to see another set of lights in the driveway.

"Perhaps Archie forgot his wallet?" It wasn't a truck though. It was a jeep. Spencer stepped out and looked at Danny.

"You're still awake in your condition? Go to sleep." Spencer put both hands on each cheek.

"She's had cravings and sent the guys on a run."

"Oh? What's the craving?" Spencer laughed. "I had odd cravings. One of which was toothpaste." Danny didn't particularly like the taste of that.

"Sand, and charcoal."

"Oh that just sounds like you're going to attempt to make glass."

"Well it is a hybrid. It might very well be." Danny said.


	6. Salt and Sediment

Authors Notes: This ones a bit short. Sorry about that lol.

Please read and review

Cry little sister

Chapter 6

Salt and sediment

The whole area was fenced off, but they could see large piles of minerals. Luckily for them the front gate was just closed and a chain pulled through it. No locks.

Archie reached over and pulled the chain loose and walked inside. There was a welcome sign over the office door. It would seem they had a small tourist area where they could see the different minerals and how they were refined.

"Okay Charcoal is poisonous for Danny. But what about right now? Her body chemistry is different being pregnant with a half human, half droid baby. Would she still get sick?" Archie asked. Dareth looked baffled and he wasn't to sure either.

"I don't think I want to risk it Archie…" Yeah Archie didn't either. Picking up a bag of Sand and what looked like salt and threw a few dollars into the slot on the office door. He wasn't planning on stealing anything. He insured the camera saw that too. Stepping back out onto the road they closed the gate and chained it back up again. Throwing the bags into the back they left.

The man whose ear was to his phone pulled it away from his ear and watched as the red truck pulled away and drove down the road.

"Bucky...we got ourselves another show runner." The other guy smiled and looked around at him.

The other guy looked over the camera and laughed.

Archie placed pieces of lettuce, and other veggies into the salad and poured the honey mustard mixed with sand into the salad. It looked a little strange, but the way Danny plowed into it, as if it was made out of the best foods ever. Archie chuckled as he built her another salad and gave her an avocado blend this time. She sat back and sighed looking up at Dareth who pulled his plug from the generator and walked over.

"You should get some sleep Danny. You didn't get any last night." He brought her into their bedroom. The sun had begun to peak over the hill.

Dareth lay Danny down in bed. He smiled down at her and ran his fingers through her hair. Leaning down and kissing her forehead and then her midsection. Danny gave him a soft smile.

"Its so cute when you do that. You are going to become a great dad." She said as she turned over and curled up. Dareth sighed watching her for a moment. It would seem the color had returned to her cheek. He looked up at Zane.

"It would seem that if she doesn't get the food she needs and quickly...the child begins to pull what it needs from her structure itself. We need to ensure that her intake is satisfied or she may end up having no much protein taken from her body." Zane looked displeased by this.

"So that sand is one thing, what do we do about the coal?" Zane picked up a basket.

"We'll have to give it to her in small amounts. Like tea, or toothpaste." Spencer said from the door as they left the room. Dareth closed the curtain as they left the room. They had chores to do.

Off in the distance sat a large dump truck with lights all over the place. It sped toward the house at a hurried speed. It hopped the curb and ran right through the house. Bursting through the other side.


	7. Mislabled

Authors Notes: And were we go

Please read and review

Cry Little Sister

Chapter 7

Mislabeled

Danny sat up looking around feeling the house wobble. She slowly sat up and looked around the darkened room. Nothing was going on there. She slowly got out of bed so as not to hurt herself on the glass from the figurines on the shelf near the bed. They now lay shattered on the floor. Her grandmother's keepsakes were destroyed. She opened the door to see that there was a truck parked inside the living room. A guy with graying black hair jumped from the driver's seat and grabbed Midnight.

"That her?" The man asked. He looked over his glasses. His hat had the logo 'corn and son' on it. But there was a dump truck. She saw the sake of sand against the wall they had got the night before with the same logo.

"Yeah throw her in the back. That must be the one that's knocked her up." The voices were like they were having fun.

"Lets go." Midnight was tossed into the truck. She had to have been knocked out. Danny knew Midnight could take care of herself.

Danny watched as Zane tried to get up, but he looked dizzy. Danny tried to run down the stairs only to realize the stairs were gone. They had blew right through them.

"Zane!?" Danny called out. He looked up at her. "Are you alright?"

"Bit of a knock. But I'm...slowly coming out of it. I'll have a goose egg though." He sat back down on the couch. It seemed to have survived the beating. Archie and Dareth burst through the door looking around.

"They took Midnight." Danny blurted. "They thought Zane was her boyfriend."

"Totally not true." Zane waved over his hand like he was swatting a fly.

"Also said he knocked her up. Whatever that is."

"Also...totally not true." Zane did it again. And lay back.

"Danny. Being knocked up is what Dareth has done to you." Spencer said looking around at the state that the house was in.

"Wait...what?" She watched Dareth hold out his arms for Danny to climb down into. She slowly scooted toward him.

"Means I impregnated you." He said softly.

"Well okay that's totally true." She said, hopping down and putting her head on his shoulder. At least she can get sleep as they were in the car.

"Archie?" Archie was stomping toward his car. He didn't answer.

"He's held back by the three laws." Danny said looking up at Dareth.

"Be that as it may, he isn't just some old model Danny. He's literally a trained assassin." Dareth told her. Spencer scoffed.

"With a curling iron in his wrist." She said. She walked over to her jeep and looked in and jumped back.

"Inky! What are you doing here? When did you even get here?" Spencer said. "You were supposed to be at school."

"So…" Inky sat back and stretched. Obviously sleeping. His hair was put up in a ponytail. It would seem he was forever going to look like a girl. Danny tried to process this information and just shrugged. As long as he was happy. Although...it didn't look like he was. "It's not like you give a shit." He was better at speaking that was for sure.

Danny scooted in and hugged him. At first he was a bit angry about it. But then he realized who it was and turned into a huge purring mess in Danny's arms. Danny looked down and smiled.

"Hey...wanna feel something?" Inky sat up and nodded. Danny took his hand and placed it onto her midsection. It wasn't a kick, it was more like a wave going across her belly. Inky's eyes grew wide and he pulled back with his eyes wide.

"What...was that?'

"A baby." Danny smiled and Inky's face grew reder and then tears went down his cheeks. He looked up at Spencer.

"Mom! Sister ate a baby!"


	8. Pollution

Authors Notes: Two more chapters after this one. (But I've got five parts written. Thats 30 chapters on the back burner.

Please read and review

Cry Little Sister

Chapter 8

Pollution

Danny held her shirt over her nose and mouth. Midnight's bar wasn't too far off and luckily it did have a filtration unit on it. But they had to revise all of their menu items to be fully droid since no human would be caught dead in the city anymore. Even the Borgs left and were living in another city all together. Cryptor had decided to join the military. Min followed shortly after. Much to both their mothers discontent. Which meant that Danny was now the owner of Borg industries.

Danny ran her fingers over her belly. She wasn't feeling too good at the moment. The two hour car ride had her feeling sick. She figured she'd sleep, but her stomach said otherwise. She yawned and sat up as the jeep pulled in.

It took Spencer a full hour of the ride to explain to Inky that Danny didn't eat a baby, it was growing inside her. Inky was now reading a book on pregnancy. Luckily it was choosy on other things.

"Has no one at least attempted to stop the pollution?" Danny asked, putting her forehead on the window.

"Yes Borg did work on it. There was a plant they found that would work, but it needed fresh air to grow and well...the project was abandoned because no one outside the city wanted to work for Borg because they caused the pollution and they didn't want droids outside the city working. So...war."

"It's spreading quickly too. According to my analisis it'll be another fifteen years before it reaches our grandparents farm." Danny climbed out of the car. Her eyes watered up and she started to cough. A pair of strong arms picked her up and carried her into the bar. She was placed down in a chair and Dareth patted her back.

"Danny...it's so polluted here that humans can no longer live here. It's droid land now." Spencer pulled her mask off. "They even closed the university. I've had to open a small college outside the city for anyone still wanting to learn. Not many droid doctors now." Danny turned her head a little

"All the more reason to keep going with what I need to do mom. If not for Dareth, then for our child." She put her hand over Dareths. She could tell he was scanning her. A glass of ice water was placed in front of her. Zane helped her drink it. She did not look good.

"Got any charcoal?" Danny asked Archie. He made a weird face.

"You know that stuff is bad for you right?"

"Well yeah but…I'm kind of a mobile suit right now so...I don't think it counts." She told Archie. Archie shrugged his shoulders.

"Well we could always pump her stomach if something happens." He pulled out a blender and scooped a few things into it and then a charcoal rock." Danny gasped and smiled standing up and went to the bar to sit in a chair. Only to realize she couldn't even hop up anymore.

"How far along are you?" Archie asked.

"Five months." Danny said.

"But you were gone for four...how does that work?" Spencer asked, looking at Dareth and Zane too.

"It's the incubation. More than likely this kid will be born in another month or so. But that's what we were told." Zane said.

"But wait...you mean...a hybrid child can be born within a few months less than a human?" Spencer narrowed her eyes.

"No...I will not be your experiment. I've been documenting on my own. Its my book. Go away." Danny stuck out her tongue. Spencer burst out laughing as Danny picked up the charcoal malt and sipped it before downing it entirely. No brain freeze or anything.

"Um…" Archie looked up at Dareth.

"So...what's the plan?" He asked his brother. Obviously unsure of what to make of his wife all of the sudden as she ran her finger along the edges and licked it like she was starving.

"We rescue her, of course."

Danny looked up at Archie who narrowed her eyes.

"Don't look at me that way. Midnight and I were...I don't think love exists." Archie picked up the cup and started to wash it. Danny put a few dollars on the counter and sighed.

"Whatever you say...but I see the way you look at her when she giggles."


	9. Piece of Pie

Authors Notes: Next chapter is the last half for this part. Part 2 is 'Machine'

Please read and review.

Cry Little Sister

Chapter 9

Piece of Pie

Midnight opened her eyes and looked around the room. It would appear she was locked up in a cage. The room wasn't lavish or pretty, the floor was concrete, and the only sunlight came from small windows about a foot high. There was nothing else in the room. Not even a discarded coke can. It was oddly clean. It even had a hint of bleach scent to the air. She looked up when she heard someone come in. She turned around to see a man with a red cap, denim jacket, and jeans. The white shirt under it looked stained. This guy was definitely a worker.

"So...when ya due?" He pulled the cigar from his mouth. He was a few feet away, but Midnight could still smell it.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not the pregnant one." She said slowly, trying to stand up, but her leg popped, and squirted oil. The guy looked up at her with a smile.

"I know your lyin. Come clean girly. We heard them two droids talking in the mineral yard. A half droid half human, and you were the only one there at the house." His name tag said Gilbert. Midnight planned on remembering that.

"You didn't search very hard did you Mr. Gilbert." She pointed to his shirt. "No...I'm not pregnant. It is impossible. Not only am I a droid, but I have no prospects." She informed him. Gilbert scoffed.

"Then who was that guy trying to protect you?" He asked. Midnight looked slightly baffled.

"Which one?" She asked. "If I recall, all I remember is a truck plowing through my friends grandparents house and that's all."

"Tall guy with white hair."

"Zane. You didn't kill him did you? That would anger a lot of people." She informed him. "Including Danny who is the one whose actually pregnant with a hybrid." She sat down again, and leaned against the bars. A heavy sigh escaped her vents. A huge puff of steam lightly floated up.

"You'll never find her though. If I know Spencer, she's moved her and her family elsewhere. Far away from you." She said, pulling the strut from her leg. The tip of her finger popped off and she began to weld the piece closed.

"Begging your pardon ma'me...but you need help with that?" He asked. He actually didn't seem as mean as she would have thought. He was just misinformed perhaps?

"No. I'm used to fixing myself. People aren't as kind to a singer like me. So I get pulled around, hit, even my hair gets pulled. Some people think that I'm just a droid. They don't assume that it hurts, and I have emotions the same as anyone else. The first human that I've met that actually cared about a droid was the one you are looking for. I've never seen such love in someone. The way she hugs Dareth, the smile she gives him is so much purer than I have seen on a human. She really does care for him." She sighed.

The rumble off in the distance sounded like thunder. Then the sound of rain on a tin roof. Gilbert stuck the cigar back in his mouth and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever lady. But since you ain't got what the boss wants. He ain't got no use for you. I guess you're just going to have to go." He held up a gun and pointed it at her. She gasped and turned just as the gun fired. Her arm shattered into thousands of pieces.

"Please...don't." She cried as the oil in her arm rained down to join the pieces of porcelain.

Gilbert held the gun up again and pulled the trigger. The glass shattered from above them and the floor was soaked. The person standing in front of Gilbert wore a bike helmet, and lots of leather. The man glared up at the person before he realized the bullet that just came out of the gun had bounced off the body armor and hit him. He looked down at the blood coming from the white shirt and made a gurgling noise. There were heated arguments and horrible yelling coming from the next room and the door burst open and a few police officers came in.

"What the hell? The guy must have done himself in. The gun was inches from Gilbert's hands. Archie ran forward and pulled the lock from the cage door.

"Mids?" He cupped her face in his hand. He had to get her out of there.

"Come on. Borg tower isn't far." Spencer called out having come with him. she ran into the room her own gun in hand.

Midnight realized as Archie took her from the room, her savior was nowhere to be seen.


	10. Helpless

Authors Notes: Last one. I've had a few of you approach me about information on this fic :D. Yes I'm almost done with it, and no I won't but throwing out a lot of chapters as I'm working with someone with art.

Please read and review.

Cry Little sister

Chapter 10

Helpless

Dane sat on the upstairs bed waiting for Danny to wake up. She had finally fallen asleep. Her worry for her friend and the motion sickness from the ride to the city had her throwing up whatever she ate. So he borrowed the kitchen for a moment and made her some broth. It wasn't much, but she was able to keep it down for a little while. He lay down on the bed next to her looking up at the little trinkets on the ceiling.

Apparently while Midnight's creator was sick he stayed up in the loft. She would look after him until he died. She didn't care much about her father. He was abusive to her in many ways. It caused her to close up, and it took Archie a long time to get her to come out of her shell.

Although the result was slightly adorable, and heart breaking. Midnight loved Archie with everything she was. Yet Archie didn't believe in love, so that love wasn't reciprocated. So Midnight had slowly begun to close up again. Believing just what Archie had said. 'Nindroids, who the hell wants one of them.'

Dane raised his hand over his head and closed his eyes. When he opened them the suns rays hit perfectly on his fingers. He smiled and placed his arm behind his head. This was gorgeous.

He heard something hit the side of the building. Uh oh...was someone mad? Were they trying to break in? This was a bar after all.

"Dane?" Danny looked around sleepily.

'We have to get her out of here.' Zane said he wanted Dane to pick up Danny.

'This room is pretty safe. We had a hard time finding it.' Dareth said watching as Dane picked up his sister holding her close to him.

"Yeah, but it's better safe than sorry." Dane said walking over to the window to go out the fire escape.

"I know you're here somewhere droid! Bring that woman down here! I know you gotta obey orders. I'll give you the count of ten." Dane pushed Danny out the fire escape She gasped when she heard it. The click of the guns, and the bullets going through the floorboards. Dane cried out several of the bullets hitting his metal underside, but there were tender pieces on his back where her brother's skin sat. Danny tried to go to him. She felt every bit of the pain he did. Dane jumped forward slamming the window closed.

"Run..." He cried out through the pain.

Danny shook her head. She didn't want to leave him, but she knew it was the only way she could get him some help. She turned around and ran down the empty back alley. The small oxygen tanks clinked together as she did.

(0)

Archie sighed looking down at his hands. He wasn't much of a man, although he considered himself a gentleman. He knew Midnight loved him, but he was figuring she wouldn't for much longer, so shielding himself from the heartbreak he just pulled away. He looked up at her as she had her arm fixed. He knew he made her feel empty. After Spencer was done she sat down and sighed pulling out a cigarette. Poor old woman was showing her age. She exhaled the smoke and shook her head.

"She's old...I donno how much she's going to take Archie. I think she's beginning to ease up." She pulled out a small envelope and held it out to Archie.

"I donno which one it is. I put one in one envelope and another in the other. But when I went to talk to your creator I'm afraid he was fading. He said his memory was going. With the last bit of cognitivity he told me to give one to you, and the other to Dareth. One is Favrile, the other is Plexi. Although...I think your more like Plexi, and Dareths more like Favrile." She sat back and sighed. "Worked on projects with him in the past." She blew smoke out again and cleared her throat throwing it into the tray.

"So dads...gone?" Archie asked. Spencer looked at him squarely.

"Yeah."

Archie stood up throwing the envelope to the floor and walked toward the door.

"Good riddance."

End part 1

Part 2: Machine will come out next week per usual


	11. Muntane

Book 2: Two Steps From Hell

Part 2: Machine

Chapter 11

Muntane

Dane felt so heavy. What was going on? He looked up at the large light that overhung the bed he was in. It was so bright. He heard a soft tink noise. His head turned to the right. He saw a tuft of black hair. His eyes rolled for a moment.

"Danny...dinjoo see the license playte on the semi truck dat hit meh?" His tongue didn't want to work right. He honestly felt drunk. He let his head fall back onto the pillow. The world spun in a few different directions. He gulped. Suddenly feeling like he was going to throw up. He heard something hiss next to him. He turned to see the woman turning up something. He couldn't concentrate on what it was. Actually his dizziness got worse. But mostly he saw her face.

"You aren't Danny." He looked back down at himself to realize his chest plate was opened and the tink noise was the bullets being taken out of his gearing and human pieces.

"You're right Dane. I'm just a figment of your imagination. Don't worry, I'm a doctor and I'm taking care of you." She smiled kindly. But the scars along her body told Dane that she wasn't what she appeared to be. She sat back down and started to work on him again.

"N...No yur nosht meh docetoor...not allow...in dar...geeout." He tried to pull back, but nothing listened and his eyes closed on their own. 'Danny...help me…' He whispered through the implant.

Danny jumped having heard the thought. She threw a $50 into the cab's front seat.

"Faster." of course the droid went faster. She seemed to have a fat wallet. Stopping in front of Borg tower she ran over to the elevator. As soon as it opened she ran in and right into Archie. Archies arms held her tightly as she panted. He looked at the oxygen tank. The knob was on red. She had been without oxygen for a little while now.

"Danny?" Archie called. She was weak in his arms. Picking her up scanning her as she panted. She needed oxygen she was going to pass out. Pushing the button. She shook her head.

"N...No...Dane. They...They shot Dane. He's going to need help. Please Archie?" She panted. Her eyes fluttered closed and she felt something like a shroud of pillows envelope her.

"She's going to go into labor early if I don't!" Her mother's voice echoed. She could hear Archie yelling something else. But then she drifted off again. The last thing she remembered was that the air smelled sickly sweet.

At first she heard yelling. She couldn't make out what was being said. But she knew it was about her.

Then silence.

That felt horrible, she didn't like how silent and cold it felt. She ran her fingers over the implant. Why was it so quiet? Where was Dane? Or even the soft buzz it left behind when the connection couldn't find its host partner.

"Dane…"

(0)

Archie opened the door and peeked into the bar. He looked around at the place. Oh Midnight was going to be pissed. Tables were overturned or broken. The bottles behind the bar were missing or broken. Probably on the floor behind the bar. But then there was that stain from the stock closet door to the outer door. What ever happened. Dane was dragged out. He followed the stain to the curb.

"Yo Archie!" The man across the street that sold them bread called to him.

"That gang shot up the place. You and Ms. Midnight were on vacation, you said. I told them that. So they let themselves in forcefully. Took that Dane guy. That way." He pointed toward Cedar street. Archie handed him one of the unopened bottles that miraculously didn't break. The guy thanked him and looked at it funny. "Ae. It'll be good for holidays." the man walked back inside.

Archie climbed into his car and followed the wheel treads as they sped through the streets. It was becoming obvious that they wanted someone to be able to follow them. Way too easy. Archie needed a plan.


	12. what is it?

Authors Notes: Next chapter next week.

Please read and review

Machine

Chapter 12

What is it?

Danny slowly opened her eyes. The mask on her face smelled like plastic and she really didn't like that smell. Spencer looked over the machines and wrote something down on a clipboard. Did she really hate droids that much? Paper? She hadn't seen a sheet of regular paper in about 15 years.

They were in Borg Tower. Why was it still Borg Tower anyways. She closed her eyes again, she felt someones hand on her forehead. She saw them talking.

Purple...she did have pretty purple hair. Midnight?

"She's feeling what they're doing to Dane. If Archie can't find him, she may lose…" Danny's eyes closed again, the implant burned.

'Dareth...what are we gonna do?'

Archie kept his hands in his pockets as he looked at the woman sitting in front of him. She wasn't as intimidating as was told to him before. Actually she looked very...well he supposed pretty was the word humans used. Her black clothing stuck to her like it was melted there. Her features told her that it might have. Her seams were almost flawless.

"I am listening." Her voice was small. What set her off more was the two men standing on either side of her. They were human for certain. Yet the look on them gave a feel of robotics. There arms crossed over there chest as if waiting for Archie to pull something stupid.

"I need help, someone took my brother." Archie's voice broke and he cleared his vocal processor.

"I understand that...but whats in it for me?"

"There's a junk yard at the end of Palm and Hurst. You can have it, lots of different stuff there that my old man fixed up and left behind. Working cars he found, fixed up, and refused to sell." She did look amazed at this. He held up the deed, Archie didn't need it anymore. No one did, if it was going to save his brother...then so be it.

"I accept your proposal., now...tell me everything." She leaned forward watching as one of her body guards picked up the deed and brought it over to her.

"What...is he?" A woman asked from the door. Dane was leaning over in a chair. He was just limp. He couldn't feel much. The device on the back of his neck couldn't tell him much about what was going on with Danny. All he knew was that she wasn't doing so well. He looked up at the woman who walked up to him.

"I'm not totally sure. But...his algorithms tell me he's not...human, and not droid. He's...something else. When I pulled the bullets out...he was just a little bit of both on the inside. Blood, oil...a perfect mix. If his codes are right...he was created by Spencers kid."

"Spencer has a kid?" The woman laughed. She looked down at Dane.

" I would be your great aunt then." the woman said leaning in closer to Dane. "I break things...I love to destroy everything she touches. This will be fun." She put her hand on Danes shoulder and squeezed. Danes screams echoed throughout the building. "I will send a message to my sister. One she will never forget!" She laughed harder. Dane tried his best to put up a block in front of the implant. Just a small firewall. But just as soon as the shoulder strut snapped the firewall fell and he knew everything he felt was being felt by her. The woman pulled away and smiled. Watching him pant.

"I'm going to have fun with this one."

"They'll come for me." Dane panted. "Make no mistake."

"Foolish. I want them to, I prefer to hit all the birds, not just one. You my dear hybrid. Are bait."


	13. Chapter 13

Machine

Chapter 13  
Winston

Danny’s screams echoed throughout the floor and probably the ones above and below it. The security guards ran in looking around expecting something horrible. Spencer was looking over her daughter for any sort of damage, but found none. But Danny was obviously in pain. 

“You come here!” She called the security guard. “Hold her there. I’ll have to restrain her. She had already thought that putting her into a medically induced coma would help her stress levels. Apparently this was a no. It has already been four days now. Putting the belt over her chest and legs avoiding the one for the midsection. Fitting the plush restraints around her arms, and legs. 

“Ma'am?” the security guard asked. Spencer looked up . 

“Don’t worry she’ll be fine. Just…” Danny’s screams stopped and she lay still panting. Her eyes were partially opened. They were glowing a soft blue. That was unusual. Danny wasn’t a droid. The second security guard ran out of the room screaming about ghosts. The first one just rolled his eyes. 

“He’s scared of his own shadow. Why he wanted this job, I’ll never know.” 

‘Dane.’ The word echoed within the implant. ‘Dane can you hear me?’ Dane looked around the dark room. He saw a small mist of yellow floating around. A bronze and a white were around them too. He looked down at himself seeing a soft tan color as if he were both Dareth and Zanes colors put together. 

‘Danny? How?’ He asked floating his mist form toward her and gathered her into his...well...arms...right? Sort of. It was just mist really. But it felt so much like a body. A soft white light flew overhead and giggled. 

“I can’t hope to explain what the implant can do, Dane. Only that...you and I were in extreme pain. Your body couldn’t take anymore, mine is...well I think I’m in a coma.” She reached out touching the soft white mist that floated in the room. The giggles echoed louder. Danny couldn’t help but smile. Dareth felt his pump swell as he reached out to catch the mist only for it to gasp and flutter higher. 

“She doesn’t know me.” Dareth said. 

“She doesn’t know your look...but speak to her. She knows your voice.” Danny leaned back against Dane watching Dareth hold his hand up again. 

“Oh sweetheart, I’m not going to hurt you.” the light fluttered down and curled into Dareths arms Nuzzling him. 

“So is this just like...a couch room?” Zane asked. The white mist fluttered from Dareths tickling fingers and hid behind Zane. 

“I suppose so.” Danny said. “But I’m going to wake up with one hell of a headache.” oh yes….and that nose bleed. Hope she had tissue nearby. She sighed. 

“Danny?” Zane put his hand on her head. She was hot, but not too bad. 

“Its the coma medication. It makes me tired. Take care of...her won’t you?” She yawned, curling into Danes arms. 

(0)

“How many are there?” Angela called from the chair she was sitting on. Her smoking pipe in hand. 

“I see about ten.” The woman turned to look at Angela. 

“Agatha you need to get out of here and run.” Angela told the woman. The doctor shrugged her shoulders and gasped when Angela grabbed her hand and pulled her close. 

“I said go…” She let their lips touch before pushing the doctor toward the door. Too late though, the door was blown off its hinges.


	14. Chapter 14

Machine

Chapter 14  
War

Danny jumped at the sudden feel of the implant coming back to life. Dane gasped clinging to her. She turned to see the room within the implant get darker. Dareth, Zane, and the baby disappeared. Danny reached up and touched Danes ‘cheek’. 

“Dane?” She was so tired. She felt herself drifting again. 

“They’re here for me. I’ll come home soon. Get some rest.” 

(0)

Dane opened his eyes looking at the chaos all around him. The room was on fire and he leaned against the wall. Archie was standing in front of him watching the whole place burning. Two droids had Agatha, and Angela in cuffs. Angela kept spitting curses at the droid behind her. The droid however didn’t seem to care about her anger. 

“Archie?” Dane coughed and looked around on the floor. The black box that was attached to his neck was broken and sparking. 

“What was that?” Archie asked him. A small hand grasped the box and looked it over. 

“An inhibitor it would seem. Dr. Julien had these made by the box load. Sent them out during the war. It immobilized droids. Unable to move. Simply by wearing it. He was working with Angela for a little while. Created that little...pet she now fawns over. Agatha.” Dane looked up at the girl who couldn’t be more then 12 or 13 years old. 

“Who?” He panted. Why did he feel so dizzy and tired?

“I’m Nadya.” She said simply. 

“Thank you...Ms. Nadya.” 

“Don’t thank me. Your brother gave me a large sum to find, and liberate you.” She looked up when a man brought over a laptop. He placed it into a hardcover box. “Did you get it all?” She asked him. The guy saluted and picked up the case walking toward the door. 

“Why?” Archie asked. 

“Angela has a lot of data all over these hard drives. Data we can use ourselves. Do not forget who I am Archie.” She walked toward the door. 

“Alright lets move!” Another yelled out. 

Archie picked up Dane and walked out the door. The room was set on fire and left to burn. 

“Danny. Hows Danny?” Archie set Dane in the front seat of his car. 

“Being kept in a coma for now. Although I think she’s…” He shook his head. Dane looked up at him. 

“What?” Dane could feel the bullet wounds get tighter around his stomach as fear tried to take over. He was amazed they fixed him. “Please Archie...not the baby?” Dane watched Archie close the door. 

“Don’t. Just relax. The less stress she’s under the better.” Archie turned on the car and drove back down the hill. 

(0)

Danny sat up looking around the room and felt the cold glass against her lips. She took the cup into her hands and swallowed the water offered. She could see the ink stained hand, so she knew who it was. Inky helped her lay back down and replaced the cloth on her forehead. She almost fell back asleep when she felt the angry kicking within her belly. It hurt a lot. 

“Calm down...calm down…” She gasped cringing. She heard the gasp from Inky when she squeezed his hand. 

“Breath Danny...and don’t kill my hand…” Danny tried to let go of his hand, but the pain didn’t let it. She wanted to curl into a ball and lay there. After a minute the pain subsided and she finally let go of her brother's hand. 

“Ow…” He wiggled his hand and looked up at Spencer who marked something down. 

“Labor starts 1:13 am.” 

(0)

The lights within the junkyard turned on. Nadya and two body guards walked into Glasses' house. Her eyes weaved over the mess. She sighed stretching. 

“Blueprints...I want all of them.”


	15. Chapter 15

Machine

Chapter 15  
Reality

Dane couldn’t help it. Even through the pain he ran. Archie pushed the button for the proper floor since Dane didn’t know it. For Dane, it was the longest elevator ride. He could feel the pain as it coursed through Danny. Archie rolled his eyes as Dane clung to him. 

“How do women do this…” He complained. Archie chuckled as the door opened. Danny lay back in the bed. She seemed to be resting comfortably. “How…?” Dane whispered. 

“They have said women can take pain better then men. I suppose its true.” Midnight said as she brought over some more ice. Danny opened her eyes and smiled at her. She plucked the cloth from her forehead and placed it into the iced water. 

Dane gasped as Dareth stepped away from Zane and walked over to Danny. She reached out for him. She looked so tired. Sweat beading up and rolling down her face. Luckily the arm strut belonged to him and could be mended whenever. 

Archie picked up Zane and placed him in a chair. The gun wounds belonged to him and he would have to weather them. The majority of Dareth was bullet proof. 

Spencer walked in and looked around.   
“What are you three doing in my medical ward?” She asked looking down at Danny “Go on get out.” 

“Injured.” Zane waved from the floor.   
“She’s my wife.” 

“Cause I can.” Archie said sitting down beside Zane. Midnight looked up at Archie. Her smile wavered. 

“In three...two…” Danny cringed and buried her face in the pillow. A scream echoed within the room. 

“Mom can’t you do something?” Zane asked 

“I know you love her dear. But giving birth is a lengthy and painful process. Trust me. She knew what she was doing when they decided to have the baby, Zane.” 

“Might just want to become her cheering section because this...is going to take hours.” Midnight set some tea down

One hour turned to two and before they knew it eight hours went by. Zane had been looked over and bandaged by spencer. He lay there with an IV in his arm from the blood loss. Finally a certain was raised. Zane sat up looking at Archie who got up out of the chair and looked at Zane. He was just as nervous. Archie found himself ringing his hands as if they were covered in mud. Trying his best to get the muk off. He felt a gentle hand take his. He looked down at Midnight. She was scared. He could see it on her. 

An almost ear piercing cry echoed within the room. Both Archie and Zane stood up again. Zane on the bed. Hands firmly on Archies shoulders. Trying his best to see over the curtain. 

It took a moment but Dareth walked out of the curtained area with a soft brown blanket with purple stars all along it. He smiled at the two waiting there. The soft tuft of brown and black hair. 

Dareth lay her down in Archies arms. Archie realized just how heavy she was. 

“And Danny was carrying this! That girl...no wonder she was sleeping a lot” Archie said sitting down on the side of the bed. It bowed. 

“Does she have a name?” Midnight asked Dareth who ran his hands along his face. 

“Odette.” Dareth said 

“Hows the mommy doing?” Zane asked. “I do hope you were gentle with her.” He wiggled Odettes hand. She hadn’t even opened her eyes yet. They were still wet from the solution that was poured in. 

“She’s tired...very tired.” Dareth said looking around at Danny who was still panting. He looked at the heart monitor and looked so scared. “Very tired.” 

Part 3: Shakin' off the Rust


	16. Chapter 16

Shakin’ off the Rust

Chapter 16  
Invasive

Snow felt so clean to Danny. Pulling her jacket closer around herself as she left the house to go to the barn. It had been three months since Odette's birth and the little girl rarely left her father's arms except for feeding times, and work. But he would sit near and smile like the proud father that he was. Danny could hear the skill saw as she walked into the barn and watched as Dareth pushed the piece of wood across the desk. 

During the off season when there was no veggies or food to sell he planned to sell wood furniture. He was good at it. Even made a few doll houses which Danny sat down and painted. Odette lay inside of one of his creations. A small wooden crib. The wood burning stove right on the other side. But not to close. 

Dareth didn’t really need the stove, but Odette was half human, and her lungs were in fact human. Which was the main reason why they decided to fix up Danny’s grandparents house and live there. Odette couldn’t just stay in a tank forever. It just didn’t sit right with the parents. So they loaded up whatever they could carry with them and got into Danny’s truck and left.

Of course Spencer visited, and Archie kind of showed up from time to time. But Midnight hardly came by anymore. When asked why, Archie changed the subject quickly or plucked Odette from his brothers arms in an attempt to get him to chase him. Danny didn’t mind the two playing, but Danny really wanted to know what happened between the two. 

She stopped thinking about it when she heard a soft pim from the bundle. She looked down to hear an almost angry coo. Exactly why she came outside. She pulled off her jacket and picked up Odette. 

“Uh oh. Looks like feeding time.” Danny looked up at Zane who walked into the barn. He skirted around Danny to give her some privacy and walk over to Dareth.

“What brings you to our little corner?” Dareth asked. Zane had been working on a project lately, and wouldn’t tell anyone about it. Danny said she knew nothing. But Dareth knew she was lying. Which meant it was official medical business. He didn’t ask anything else. 

“I found some time to skip work.” He had just started school, and worked on campus cleaning up around the grounds. “Kinda sad working around the campus and the dean is your mother.” 

“I had to go to school with her as my teacher. ‘Come on Danny you can do better than that!’” Danny tried her best to sound like Spencer. 

“Oh come on now. I don’t sound like that, do I?” Spencer asked. Obviously the one who drove Zane there. Danny however didn’t even look embarrassed having been caught trying to mimic her. 

“Yes you did. You in fact said that to me at least three times a week.” She moved the blanket out of the way as Spencer looked at Odette. 

“You’ve been feeding her a little oil?” 

“Just a little, I don’t want to give her too much or she’ll get a little to…” Danny cleared her throat. “Diaper happy.”

“Ah yes. I understand.” 

“Did any of your children have that problem?” Dareth asked, holding up a plank and looking along it. 

“Oh yes. All three of them.” 

“Mom…” Zane complained. 

“ It's the change in temperature mostly. Disposition can cause problems.”

Spencer's phone rang and she sighed walking out the side doors. Danny could hear the crunch of the snow as she walked. She started to hum to Odette and then jump hearing Spencer yell. 

“What do you mean he’s no longer in his room!” Odette jumped and cried out. Danny felt Dareth pull her closer to him and walk them over to the loft. Danny crawled up and through the small hole. There was nothing but stacks of hay they got in the field. Hopefully it would last through the winter to feed their horse, and cow. They only had one each, but there was a lot of snow. 

“No. Find him! I want him found now!” Spencer stomped back into the room and realized Danny wasn’t in her seat. She noticed how Dareth was standing on the other side of the ladder. 

“Move.” Spencer told him. Dareth shook his head and leaned against the ladder. 

“Move Dareth. My grandchild is crying. I’m ordering you to move.” 

“You're not my owner. He died. I gave myself to Danny.” 

Zane stood in the corner eating a radish.   
“Mom...might just wanna sit back for a bit. When Dareth gets over protective of Odette he won’t do anything...literally. He’ll just stand there, but he won’t hurt you. But he’s a wall.” Zane stuffed the rest of the radish into his mouth. 

“Would you move! Echo’s escaped from the workshop!” Zane dropped the second radish and looked up at Danny who leaned over the outside. 

“He’s alive?”


	17. Chapter 17

Shakin’ off the Rust

Chapter 17  
Mr. E

The ground felt like he was running on slime. 53% droid and the rest was human. Or at least that's what Spencer said. 

He should have died when the funhouse collapsed. The fact that he no longer had human lungs saved his life. The metal plate over his mouth prevented him from asking for help. He had been picked up and taken to Borg Industries where Spencer found him. He had broken the hand cuffs from his arms and jumped out the window. 

He was sure people would stare at him if he ran so he stole a pair of pants, and shirt and ran. 

Rain during that season was unrelenting and soon enough he was soaked. He broke the lock off the door to a building that looked abandoned. Slowly walking away from the closed door and pushing a box against it he walked backwards and sat down. Slowly laying back he looked up at the sky light. Droplets of water hitting it. The sound began to lull him to sleep. 

He was woken up by the flash of lightning, and the boom of thunder shaking the ground. He heard a grunt and a soft slide. He looked up to see a woman trying to push the heavy box away from the door. Obviously this warehouse wasn’t as empty of people then he thought. The woman…

The air within Echos artificial lungs hitched when he saw the woman. The blondish brown hair that sat upon her shoulders and the bright green eyes as she turned to see that Echo was awake and attempted even more to push the box away. He tried to say he wouldn’t hurt her, but then nothing came out. He looked bummed and then noticed the very old pen and wrote on the wall. 

“I am Echo.” Damn the pen didn’t work. She slowly lowered herself down to the ground and pulled her backpack to her. He could see the book pretty well. He slowly reached forward and took the book out of the bag. 

“N...No!” She tried to reach for it only to back paddle and pull the other books to her and hide them. “P...Please don’t damage it. I can’t afford them. It's just a...it's uh...m...my college book. Im renting it.” Student. Of course. With all those books. 

Echo opened the book and saw the many different ways the hand could move. Sign language. He looked up at the girl and smiled. 

The girl looked at him almost surprised. She could see the corners of his eyes go up slightly. He moved his fingers a little, and then looked up at her and showed her. 

[Echo] 

“Echo? Is...Is that your name?” She asked. Echo nodded and looked over the pages again. It all seemed simple enough and his new programming memorized everything as he went. After a little while he handed the book back and signed to her. 

[I am being chased. Can I stay here, for a little while?] The girl nodded her head. 

“As long as it's not bad. I mean I don’t want to get pulled into something that’ll get me hurt. I’ve had enough of that in my childhood.” SHe put the book back into her bag and placed it onto a box. “I’m Kate. Kate Barneby.” She held out her hand. Echo took her hand and made an almost purring noise before pulling it back. 

“You aren’t a droid? Are you?” Echo pulled his legs to him and shook his head. 

[Modifications to my body without my permission. It's why I’m running from right now. I’m running away from them. I’m tired.] He curled up into a little ball and closed his eyes. He jumped when he felt a blanket tossed over him. 

“You don’t have any socks or shoes on. Plus your clothes are wet. Lets get you warmed up.” Echo didn’t have the heart to tell her he didn’t feel any cold. But she crawled up under the blanket and pulled him close. His head rested on her shoulder and it was the best feeling he had in a long time. Once in a very long while he felt...safe. He couldn’t help it, his eyes closed on their own, and he fell into a comfortable sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

Shakin’ off the Rust

Chapter 18  
Syrup

Echo heard a soft click, and opened his eyes. The soft feel of someone laying next to him was cold now. He even felt the blanket was gone. He looked down at where he had laid the night before and realized that Kate was sitting on a box. There were a few canned peaches, and a can of chili laying on the floor. She was pit deep inside a box and putting more cans into a second bag. Echo looked confused for a moment. She put the smaller bag on top of her school bag and then pulled it up onto her back. 

The night before Echo had thought she was a security guard. But now that he saw her she was dirty. The knees on her pants were torn out, her shoes had holes in them, and the jacket she had on was so thin no wonder why she wanted to cuddle up to him last night. He watched her as she tried her best to move the box out of the way. 

“There's food in that box if you’re hungry. But I gotta go. I uh...mmhm class starts soon.” She strained only to stumble when Echo pushed the box out of the way. “Uh...thanks.” She was so skittish. It reminded him of a kitten. She’d run if he moved too fast

[Kate do you not have a home?] He asked. Kate gritted her teeth and pulled the bag higher onto her shoulder. 

“Do you?” She walked out of the warehouse.

He sighed and walked over to the boxes and started pulling things out from them. He found an old pair of socks. So at least he had something for his feet. They were still human. Although they were now blue. He was in the process of pulling on a pair of leather pants, when the door opened and Kate stumbled in. She seemed fine for the most part. She had been gone for about two hours. Wouldn’t she be gone by now? She leaned against a box and made a horrible noise that was painful to listen to and almost horrible for her. She threw up onto the ground. Echo ran forward. Trying his best to ask her what was wrong. But there was nothing wrong. There were no injuries. Nothing that looked like it was going to hurt her. 

He picked her up and ran out of the room. Spotting a car that looked like it had been running for centuries. He climbed inside. Popped the back panel off and grabbed the wires and started the car up. He didn’t like the idea of stealing someone's car. But he needed to get Kate to a hospital. 

No, but wait...there weren’t anymore human doctors in the city. Well there was that one guy…

Echo put the car into gear. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Kate was breathing hard. Her cheeks were flushed and she kept grabbing at her belly. She gasped and cringed. She was in a lot of pain. Suddenly something struck Echo. Was she in labor? 

Nope, nope...to skinny. Actually Kate was incredibly skinny. Too skinny actually. He pulled up in front of an old looking Pawn shop. One of the windows was taped up. Wonder what had happened to cause that. Echo scanned the building seeing Ronin in the front and no one else. He pulled open the door and motioned to Ronin. Ronin looked baffled for a moment only to realize that it was Echo. 

“Hey uh kid? Got something heavy to bring in?” That was music to him. Heavy meant expensive. He was going to con the pants off that kid. His heart flip flopped when he realized just who it was. 

“Where did you find her?” He helped Echo bring her in and put her on the show room table. Echo signed to Ronin hoping he would understand. 

“A warehouse. “ 

“How did she get so sick?” Ronin asked, running his fingers along her stomach and gasped when he realized there was inflammation. 

“Its her appendix.” He quickly pulled out a black bag from behind the counter. Grabbing out a few things and pulling over a lamp. “Might wanna sit down. This is gonna take a little while.” Ronin grabbed the scissors and cut the shirt. Echo turned around in his seat and cleared his throat. 

“You are just like your sister Echo.” Echo growled at that. He jumped when he heard Kate cry out. He turned to see that he had just put an IV into her arm. The IV went from the bag, to Ronin as well. Echo looked baffled. How did he know what blood type she was? He walked around Ronin who pulled out a few cutting tools and looked up at Echo. 

[Ronin…?]

“You managed to bring her to the right place Echo. She’s...my sister.”


	19. Chapter 19

Shakin’ off the Rust

Chapter 19  
Blood

Pain, uncontrollable and unmistakable white, hot pain. Kate had a piece of leather in her mouth. She could feel everything that Ronin was doing. He was able to give her a little pain relief, but he wasn’t in the hospital. At best he was a nurse. The bottle in Kates hand caused her to lean a little. She would drink heavily from it, before placing it back down on the table. To Echo, it looked like an old western movie. But instead of a bullet, it was an appendix. 

Kate however didn’t look to be in too much pain. She talked a lot about her childhood. A lot that caused Echo to be floored, and even Ronin looked baffled. Having left when she was 11 just before there mother got sick and died. He felt responsible somehow. After an unspeakable story Kate ran away from home and had been on the street ever since. Ronin had offered to take her in and was paying her way through college. But she didn’t want to bug Ronin. Last thing she wanted was to get on his nerves. So she left Ronin too. 

Ronin sighed as he watched his sisters' expressions change. Her eyes closed on their own after about an hour. She was still awake, but only just. They could only make out her eyes just under her lashes. 

“I didn’t leave her on purpose...I left because I thought I was the root of her problems. Father looked at me as a saint because I was male. It only advanced the problems after their mother died. Echo looked down at Kate. He sat up and looked down at Ronin who was sowing up Kate's side. The piece he took out sat in a bag. A piece of Kate. Echo gritted his teeth, balling up his fists. He wanted so much to go after their father, but he had no idea who it was. 

“Hey you look like she’s your girlfriend or something. Stop it. You can go home now. I’m sure Spencers looking for you.” Echo stood up and shook his head motioning to the phone Ronin held. 

“No? You don’t want to see your mom? Why not? That womans a saint...compared to me anyways.” Ronin looked slightly iffy. 

“Alright, but if your going to be running. Here...at least wear something g…” Ronin ducked when he watched a shoe fly across the room. It was Kates. 

“Hey! What was that for?”

[If you want to make it up to Kate...give her some proper clothing. Her shoes are ready to fall apart and this jacket is too cold to wear outside. Its snowing!] Echo threw the other shoe. 

“She stole that jacket from me in the first place.” 

[She wouldn’t have to if you’d give her something suitable to wear! You are here primary caregiver aren’t you?] Echo’s fingers were going so fast Ronin had to think about what he was signing. 

“Wait...wait...no I’m not. She’s an adult and in college. She does not live here, and nor did I give her permission. If she stays here, she would more than likely die. If she’s out there she’s got a better chance.” Echo growled and jumped when he felt a shaky hand in his. He looked at Kate. She looked so pale, and her cheeks were red. She would be here for a little while. 

“Do you have a bed she can use? The table won’t be very good to recover on.” 

“You got money?” Echos shoulders slumped. So much for family. He picked her up and walked back toward the car. “Hey you gonna pay for that surgery Echo Julien!” Echo turned to glare daggers at Ronin. The one sign that everyone knew was the only response he got. Echo put Kate into the back seat and pulled the blanket she kept with her around her. It was going to be a long drive.


	20. Chapter 20

Shakin’ off the Rust

Chapter 20  
Holidays

The Holiday lights shone brightly on the freshly fallen snow outside the farm house. Inside it smelled of sweet cakes, and cookies. There was a tree taller then Dareth in the living room and Danny stood there putting an ornament on the tree. She hummed along to the radio playing music. Dareth sat on the floor with Odette who had a fist full of tinsel in her hands. 

Luckily for them Spencer had to go back into the city for the night. Zane was in the kitchen with his freshly baked banana bread. Or that's what he called it. It looked like a brick to Danny. But she’d try it just to please him. He was making an effort to learn to cook better. That mattered so much to Danny. 

The few presents they got Odette sat under the tree. It wasn’t much since she was only 3 months old. Just some clothing, and a stuffed animal. She couldn’t do much at the moment except hold things and look at how they were shiny in the tree's light. 

Danny’s complications during childbirth were horrible. It scared Dareth so much that he wasn’t too sure about having anymore. Danny figured it was why he hardly put Odette down. He almost lost her too. The very rare moments when he put Odette down was to hold Danny. For nearly a month Dareth refused to put either down until Danny healed enough to walk again. Her pelvic bone had been fractured. Sometimes if it gets too cold it would still hurt. 

An insistent knock came to the door. Dareth looked at Danny as she walked toward the door. He pulled Odette closer to him as the cold air came into the now warm house. 

“Echo?!” Danny called out instantly. Dareth heard the shuffling and Danny’s protest about being shoved aside. Odette didn’t like her play time being cut short. She started crying loudly.

Echo lay Kate down on the couch and stopped for a moment almost as if something came to mind. He looked at Danny and then pointed to Odette. 

“Yes she’s mine, and Dareths.” 

[Small] He sighed and looked back down at Kate. 

“Echo whose that?” Danny asked. Echo had walked over to the linen closet and pulled out a thicker blanket. Placing it on her. She watched him pull his helmet off and gasped. 

“What did they do to you?” She didn’t see him the last time. All she knew was the stories Zane had told her. She looked up at Zane who shrugged from the kitchen door. 

“Don’t look at me. I saw him with the helmet on.” Zane told her. So that was the reason why he couldn’t speak. They took everything from his jaw down. 

(0)

Ronin looked back down at his cell phone. He cringed and sighed. He had wanted them to stay. He wished he didn’t have to chase them off like that. But if he hadn’t…

The door to the pawn shop opened and closed. The large men walked in with a few scrolls in hand. He knew that if Echo stayed more than likely it would have gotten his sister killed. His best and only bet was to get them to leave. Even if it made him out to be the bad guy. 

“Nice Shiner Ronin.” Nadya smiled up at the man. Her smile was fake, but the bag of gold on her hip wasn’t. 

“It's a hazardous job. But it's the only one I know.” He leaned over the counter. “Whatcha got there?” He watched as the girl lowered the scrolls onto the table. He looked over the scroll and shook his head. 

“That's old Ninjagian. I can’t read that.” Nadya looked up at one of the men who grabbed Ronin by the throat. 

“If you don’t...I know you know someone who does.” She looked up at Ronin. He was set back down. 

“Of course I do. Who do you think I am?” Ronin said. 

“Well. These scrolls are very important to me. So I suggest you get to work.” She looked at her watch before turning back around. “Khan. Make sure he works...efficiently.” She snapped her fingers and another tall man walked into the room. 

“Uh...clones?” Ronin asked. 

“A little piece of my shadow.” She looked over her shoulder. 

“Which means I’m always watching you...and that sister of yours too. It would seem she’s at a small farmhouse with that Danny woman. That child would fetch a nice price. Get to work Ronin...or else.”


	21. Chapter 21

Shakin’ off the Dust

Chapter 21  
Please

There was a soft clicking noise. Kate slowly opened her eyes to see a woman with black hair and blue eyes looking over Echo. Her fingers turning a very small looking screwdriver. The clicking and beeping noises were coming from Echo. Kate tried to move, only to cringe. She felt someone's hand on her midsection. She turned to see what looked like a blond version of Echo.

A loud zap and a pop caused her to jump. Echo jumped back away from the screwdriver. Kate gasped seeing the inner area of his jaw. Echo turned away and picked up the jaw strut and placed it back onto his face. There was a trill sort of purr that came from him. The black haired woman scoffed. 

“No...it was because you were looking at her. It's like playing a board game if I touch the sides it's going to do that.” Danny ran her fingers over the side of the chair.

Echo looked around at Dareth leaning back in a chair slowly rubbing circles on the babys back. She had just got finished feeding and was sleeping soundly. He scoffed and pointed at Dareth. 

“Oh don’t you start. Dareth and I have been together for a very long time. Been married for two years now. Odette is ours.” He looked baffled and pointed between one and another. 

[How?]

“Well when a daddy bot, and a human mama love each other very much…” Zane started only to be hit by a pillow. They knew he wasn’t going to finish the sentence. He was trying to lift the mood. 

Kate watched Echo smile as he looked down at the infant. 

[Can I hold her?] Echo asked. Dareths eyes locked onto him and narrowed. [I’m not being controlled by dad anymore. I’m back to being me. Just...normal Echo.]

“I think you need to look after your girlfriend first.” Dareth motioned to Kate. Kate looked astounded. Girlfriend really? 

“ ‘m not ‘is...girlfrien.” Kate bumbled over the words. 

“Oh, so you're his friend?” Danny asked walking over, helping her to sit up so she could change the bandages. Kate gasped and leaned heavily on Danny. “Echo come over here and hold her up.” Echo let Kate lean on him. 

“What happened?” 

“Looks like Ronin took out your appendix.” Kate gasped. 

“Ronin? Geez he’s going to be so mad.” Kate gasped feeling the piece of gauze being pulled from her stomach. 

“I’m going to put pressure on it so I can put some of this on it.” Danny held up a brown bottle. Echo helped Kate to lay back. Letting her squeeze his hand as tightly as she wanted. It was metal anywa… She squeezed it tightly. Echo gritted his teeth. Okay that actually hurt. Pouring something else onto the gauze she placed back over the wound hurt worse then before. 

“It's just rubbing alcohol.” Danny said, putting the wrap back around her. “I’ll change it again in the morning. If you're alright by Friday evening I’ll let you have some of my clothes so you can go to the winter festival with us.” Danny said as she stood up and motioned for Dareth, and Zane to follow. There was a second bed. Echo slept, some. But only if he was incredibly low on energy without the ability to recharge. Luckily he could recharge here. He lay down on the bed and plugged himself into the wall. He sighed as he felt the energy begin to flow into him. Like drinking hot chocolate after walking home from school in the snow. He lay back and looked at Kate. 

He was about to sign to her good night. But she spoke first. 

“Why do they think I’m your girlfriend?” She asked. Echo rolled his eyes and shrugged. 

[It's just the way they think of us I guess. I didn’t say anything to them.] Echo shook his head. [Besides...I’m a loner, and never had a girlfriend before. It's just...not meant to be. Who would want me.] He motioned to his body. [I’m ugly]

“You are not.” Kate said. Echo turned over and shook his head.


	22. Chapter 22

Shakin’ off the Rust

Chapter 22  
Festival

Echo looked down at himself. Borrowing one of Zanes outfits wasn’t something he wanted to do. He mostly wore lighter colors. But this was a family thing and he did miss doing that. Well, with his siblings anyways. They never treated him any different. Although Dareth still didn’t let him hold Odette. Actually he never put her down at all. Although he did sit down and let them meet face to face once she was awake. She held his finger and he tried his best not to cry. It didn’t work. 

It made Kate smile. 

Kate was floored when she found out their father was a piece of trash just like hers. But it was nice to see that Dareth was supportive of his family. She loved to see them interacting. Dareth didn’t speak too loud to Odette, but it was loud enough to hear a bit. 

At the moment he was playing with her toes. She would kick her feet and he’d tickle them softly before pushing a tiny sock onto her feet. They were so small. Echo hadn’t realized just how small infants were. But from what Danny said Odette was far smaller when she first came. 

[the idea of how large you are and how tiny she must have been to begin with. She must have been so tiny.] Dareths deep throated chuckle was his response. 

“She was small.” Zane pointed to Dareths arm. “From here to here.” Half his forearm. That amazed Echo. 

[But that means she was…]

“Premature? Yes. I’m afraid...situations happened that caused me some major stress and I...went into labor. Luckily I was already in the hospital when it happened and mother was able to deliver her. Although...there's a reason why only Dareth carries her. She’s...nearly 34lbs.” 

“A….thirty...four...how?” Kate walked over and tried to pick up Odette and gasped. Odette gave off a gentle hiss. Almost like a kitten who couldn’t see after it was born. 

[Danny are you a bodybuilder?] Echo joked. Danny crossed her arms and smiled. 

“Built one didn’t we?” She motioned to Odette. Echo burst out laughing. It actually sounded like a throaty cough. Dareth leaned down and gathered Odette in his arms again. She let off a series of hisses before turning into the sound of her father's pump box. 

“Just like a lullaby.” Dareth kissed Odette's forehead. “But where did the hissing come from.” Danny giggled and shook her head. 

“No idea. Ask your mom.” Dareth said

Echo opened the back door of the car. It was a new car. Since there was no place to put a child seat in the truck. Danny built this one herself so it could carry up to 8 tons. For farm stuff

“What model is this?” Danny climbed into the drivers seat

“Its a model...D.” She never thought of it. Danny looked at the apprehensition on Dareth giving Odette the grabby fingers. He wanted to keep holding her. But knew that wouldn’t be safe in the car. 

“Sit back there with her then.” Danny patted his arm. Dareth climbed into the back and laughed seeing the way Zane looked at him. 

“Oh come on. You gotta let me babysit her one day.” Dareth looked apologetically at him. 

“Well there is that third option.” Danny said in a sing-song voice. Dareth looked at Zane who just shrugged. Dareth clapped him on the shoulder and the light pop. Dane looked around. 

“Hey...its winter.” He stretched rather loudly. Danny could hear his back panels popping as he did. He couldn’t do a lot of good stretching inside the car. His attention however shifted realizing Odette had her foot in her mouth. 

“Hey Danny...theirs a bug back here chewing shoes.” Danny could feel his amusement. 

“Yes. She’s rather fond of them.” Dane chuckled, wiggling them. 

“Good to see you again kiddo.” 

“Uh...what?” Kate looked at Danny from the passenger's seat.


	23. Chapter 23

Shakin’ off the Dust

Chapter 23  
Let me

Climbing out of the car and onto the slush that used to be snow on the roads. The family walked toward the brightly lit bizarr. Each stall decorated in blues and silvers. Even the lanterns cascaded all around them in light blue. 

Dane pulled Odette closer to him. She made a soft hiss, but still curled up into him. Dane scanned her eyes and chuckled. 

“Children at that age can see a few feet in front of them only. But they can smell you, and hear the sound of your heart beating. Since you share Dareths pump I think she’s content”. Danny told him. Dane chuckled and looked down at the infant. 

“Nah you're just a small thang still. Heavy little wonder too.” He looked at a few things. “Be a matter of time before she’s down and around with all these other kids, begging for candy.” He watched a kid run by with cotton candy in one hand and an apple in the other. 

“Oh not too soon I hope. I would like to keep her in our arms a bit longer. I’ve become attached.” Dane chuckled, rubbing his forehead to Odettes. A light squeaky yawn was what he got in return. 

“Squeaker. Thats what I’ll call you.” Danny could feel his amusement.

(0)

Echo plucked a small flower from a flower pot and placed it into Kates hair. She gasped and looked at him. She blushed and turned away. They didn’t have money to mess with, but they did still want to come. Kate needed to walk since the surgery. Her hip still smarted, but she really needed to get back to school or she’d miss too much and lose her scholarship. 

But that thought exited her head pretty quickly when she heard some instruments playing. She looked over and saw kids watching shadow puppets. She smiled as she watched the monkey flying around on a cloud. It was a well known story and told all the time. She giggled when the monkey dove into the water which promptly splashed the children with soap suds. 

Echo’s eyes however were on that brilliant smile. He wanted so much to...no he couldn’t. She’d never. 

He turned back to look at the show and realized that Kate looked confused. He listened in. the story was completely wrong. Monkey didn’t have a sister...and a boyfriend. A warning…

Kate found herself curled into Echo a bit harder then she realized. He pulled her in and glared at the man telling the story. He was looking right at them as he spoke. 

“Lets go...can we go Echo?” They turned just as a huge plume of smoke took to the sky. One of the booths burst to flames. Echo pulled Kate alone one side of the booths away from the trampling feet. He sure hoped his sister got out alright. 

(0)

Dane held onto Odette tightly and pulled Danny along with him. Keeping her in front of him. But the body’s were starting to push in and Odette didn’t like being held so tightly. Dane heard her cries and pulled her up a little. Doing so he lost sight of Danny completely. 

“Danny!” He couldn’t even hear himself. What made him think she could hear him? He felt someone shove him into one of the booths. He rolled so he didn’t squish Odette. He curled into a ball around her.


	24. Chapter 24

Shakin’ off the Rust

Chapter 24  
Divide 

Danny had been pushed by the crowd. She wasn’t totally sure where she had come out. Dusting off the snow on her knees and looked around she saw plenty of winter roses and a lot of bags over bushes. The snow sat comfortably on top of them. Danny looked around to see that no one was around, and the crowd must have disburse. 

She looked back out the mouth of the garden and saw no one, save for a lot of dropped items. 

“Hello?” She called out. No one answered her. 

“Danny!” She heard behind her. She ran back toward the opening of the festival. 

“Dane?” She called out. She looked one way and another. 

“I told you...I want them both.” A voice said from nowhere. She turned to see if the person was talking to her. But no one was there. 

“Hello?” Danny called looking back and forth, turning ar...she couldn’t move her feet. 

“Gotcha.” To Danny’s horror a man came up through the shadow caused by the street lamps. She gasped feeling the pressure on her chest. She couldn’t breath. In front of her she could see Dane come out of the festival carrying Odette. 

Dane chuckled looking down at Odette who was slightly cooing at him. She was happy now that she had been fed. Luckily for him he had her bag. He turned as he heard something. He spotted Danny being held by a very large looking man. Sinking into the shadows. Why didn’t he feel her?

“No!” He cried out. He could feel Dareths sudden sense of panic. He didn’t get to her in time and they both sank below the shadows leaving Dane and Odette alone. 

(0)

Kate felt warm. She liked the feeling of Echos arms around her. Holding her tightly. In her youth she wasn’t held often. She couldn’t remember the last time she was hugged, or made to feel safe. 

Echo’s eyes scanned the crowds for anything that seemed off. But he was distracted by something minor. Although it would cause him to think a little. He felt Kate step closer to him, and lightly snuggle a little closer. He couldn’t help but do it too. The warmth he felt from it was something unusual to him, but so very welcome. He pulled back and looked down at her. Her eyes seemed so soft. Oh how he wished he could kiss her. Having no mouth proved to be a bit...useless. So he did the next thing he knew how. He pressed his forehead to hers. His thumb lightly rubbing her cheek. 

“Daww that's so adorable!” Echo jumped and looked around. At least five identical men stood there. He looked from one end to the other pushing Kate behind him. Reaching behind his back he pulled a sword out from under his jacket. 

[I’m warning you. Stay back. I don’t want to hurt you.] His brown eyes turned red with promise. 

“Hurt them? Perish the thought.” There was a laugh as the men charged Echo. 

Kate gasped watching Echo fight the men. She felt it before she could do anything. Arms around her midsection and a hand over her mouth. Echo didn’t notice. He was too busy fighting. She began to freak out. She couldn’t breath. Everything was going dark. 

Echo pulled the blade out of the last guy and turned to look at Kate. She was gone. Looking left then right he turned back around to realize they had her. His Kate was gone.


	25. Chapter 25

Shakin’ off the Rust

Chapter 25  
Read me a Story

Dareth looked down at Odette. Her squeaking cries echoed throughout the festival. Her tiny fingers barely made it a quarter of the way around his thumb. She had small hands. Even his pump box bears no comfort. She couldn’t feel Danny nearby. It was why Danny stayed near the house. It would seem hybrids were imprinted upon the neural link. Sometimes Danny could understand what she wanted. Dareth put the bag down and pulled out a diaper. At this age there were four things they wanted. Changing, food, cuddles, or sleep. Dane had already fed her, so a change, and cuddling it is till she fell asleep. 

“Found him.” Dareth looked over his shoulder at Zane and Echo running up the path. Dareth waved his hand a little. Zane understood. The droid was very protective of his daughter. Zane stopped Echo and he pointed toward the parking lot explaining to him what happened to Danny. Echo understood what might have also happened to Kate. 

Dareth tossed the used diaper into the bin and pulled the blanket snuggly around Odette and pulled her close. The fluffy blanket was incredibly warm on her. 

“This is no place for an infant.” He sighed going through his address book. Much to Dareths discontent he called up Spencer to babysit. 

(0)

Danny groaned and pushed whatever was on her face. She gasped when she realized it was an arm. She turned the person over. 

“Kate?” She shook the young lady until she groaned loudly too rubbing her head. She gasped. Being squeezed like she had hurt her wound greatly. Danny pulled her jacket off and put it under Kates head. 

Kate cringed feeling Danny pull her kimono over slightly seeing the wound. Grabbing her own Kimono Danny pulled at the silk and tore it down the seam. She had to make a temporary bandage for her. Silk wasn’t the best though. But it was all they had. 

“Ronin…” Kate called out seeing a lump on the floor at the other end of the room. 

The mans eyes snapped open and he looked around. He rubbed his head groaning loudly. 

“What the heck…” 

“You did not give me what I wanted after a week Ronin. So I went and obtained the one who could read it. The college had it down that a ‘Kathrine Barnaby’ was the best at it...I’m afraid the teacher didn’t last long. So we have your sister instead.” 

“Ronin…” Danny glared at him. But the glare was replaced by “Ronin Barnaby?”

“Shut it!” Ronin crawled over and looked at the wound. He knew Danny wasn’t good at human anatomy. Kate was definitely not a droid. 

“Is Ronin even his real name?” She looked down at Kate who shook her head. “What is it. Tommy, Mark, Richard?” Danny laughed. Kate tried not to. She wouldn’t tell though. 

Ronin sighed looking down at the bashful lok on Kates face. 

“I’m not mad at you Kid. I just wish they hadn’t come after you. That and Danny’s got a pup too. This could have gotten them in real danger.” 

“What do you expect? That someone like me was going to back off? These papers hold something my creator wants and you WILL give it to him.” The door slammed into the wall. Four men walked in with tables, books, and a tray of tea. 

“If you don’t do this. I will have your families found...and killed.” She looked down at Danny. “I don’t have a problem killing infants either. Now sit down...and do it.” The girl said. 

“Who are you?” Danny called out. Nadya scoffed and walked toward the door. 

“Father should have killed you when he had the chance.” 

(0)

Angela looked over the papers in front of her. There was a large topographic map in front of her. She looked over the papers and mumbled something before pointing to the side of a mountain. 

“There...thats where he is.” 

“Are you sure?” The voice was familiar. A man with graying hair walked over and looked over the map. 

“We’ve been looking for three for some time now and you are sure the other is with him too?”

“Yes sir. Satellite feeds show two walking around outside the dome.” 

“They must have activated somehow in the last two weeks.” Dr. Julien walked out of the side room and looked over the map again. “They won’t be in the best of conditions. So it’ll be easy for you to catch them. They will know how to operate TEAR.”


	26. Chapter 26

Shakin’ off the Rust

Chapter 26  
Retweet

Archie wasn’t much for sentimentality. Hell he wasn’t really much of anything. Yet here he was sitting in Midnights apartment with her foot on his lap. He couldn’t take her to Borg tower anymore so he had to do a lot of fixing on his own. No chance of taking her to his father either. He was gone too. 

No warning, or words spoken between them. Midnight watched with minute eyes as she saw the sparks fly. Welding pieces back onto her leg. Slipping as she came back into her apartment and her foot got lodged in the vent covering. The piece went right through like butter. She hated being made of porcelain. 

What was wrong with them? It was a question everyone seemed to be asking. Midnight just closed up and stopped talking all together. Archie would still talk to her, but it was like her soul had given up on any chance it had with him. So here he was still helping her, running the bar side of the pub while she simply played the piano. ‘Love was cruel’ was the last thing she said to him before shutting down. 

“Try that.” Archie told her. She wiggled her foot and nodded. Putting her foot back into the slipper. She opened her closet and pulled out a dress and walked over to the ladder. Climbing up and after a few moments she climbed back down. She put the clothing she had vacated into a bin and turned it on. The water poured into the bin. She tossed the detergent in before closing it and walking toward the door. 

Her feet were so small compared to his. She noticed Archie staring at her. She looked up at him as she waited by the door. Did he expect to stay in her apartment when she left? Not likely, she opened the door and grabbed her parasol. 

“Honestly...You’ve finally brought him by during the day so I can see him.” The landlady smiled up at Archie. “Yes he is a nice strong man.” She patted Archies arm. 

“We aren’t together.” Midnights soft voice said. He could tell it was strained from disused vocals. “That is a dream now passed.” Archie felt his pump close off and hitch. She had made it well known of her love for him. They had talked about such things one night after Odette's birth. Archie seemed so nervous and edgy when she spoke about it. It was almost like her words melted away and she gave up in the end when she realized she was the only one talking. She had determined that Archie wasn’t going to try. 

That wasn’t true though. He did love her, he just didn’t know how to express it that wasn’t going to…

“If you are afraid of losing her sir. Don’t worry about it...you already have. She won't pursue it any further. But it does make her sad. She sees that you love her, but don’t want to do anything about it. So she’s gracefully stepping aside so you don’t have to. Doing so...will kill her. It happens to humans too.” 

Archie sighed forcefully. He hated being forced into situations. But it honestly felt like this old lady was pushing him into a corner. Well thats an old lady for ya.

Archie walked passed the woman and over to the outer door. Looking down at the small woman under the parasol and the rain that fell. Archie gave off a steamy sigh. He was going to get soaked...wasn’t he? Midnight reached into her bag and pulled out a bigger umbrella and put her parasol away. 

She handed him the parasol and waited for him to open it. Linking her arm with his, they walked out into the rain. 

Midnight flinched when she was blinded by a pair of headlights. Archie felt his pump flip flop when he realized it was his brother who climbed out of the car and called out to him. 

“Archie! Who was that lady you got to get Dane out of trouble?” 

“Just a kid why?” He looked around at the new occupants. He knew the droid from somewhere. 

“Because she kidnapped Danny and another woman from the festival!” Archie felt his head pull a lot of numbers and letters, but none of them made sense. She was just a hire...right?


	27. Chapter 27

Shakin’ off the Rust

Chapter 27  
I am your Father

Danny rubbed her eyes and picked up the cup of tea. She really wished it was a strong coffee, or something. She looked up at Kate who looked over the scrolls and looked baffled before picking up another and shook her head. Picking up all the other scrolls and laying them down on the table and looking over them again. She looked at Danny who honestly had no idea what any of this said. She was a droid medical doctor. Not a linguist. 

Brightly flashing lights off in the distance through the very small window in the ceiling told Danny the rain was about to get worse. 

“I really wish some people would number their notes.” Kate mumbled looking over two pieces of paper before lining them up. 

“There we go...I think I’ve got them in order.” She pulled out a piece of paper and started to scribble on them

Ronin walked over to the bars and shook them. 

“Hey you want her to keep workin feed her.” Nadya turned to look at Ronin. She looked tired and unready to take anything he had to give. 

“How many pages has she done? She’s a rat in the maze. If she wants food she can give results.” Nadya turned back to whoever was talking to her. 

“Its alright Ronin. I’m okay. I’ve gone twice as long without food before.” Ronin cringed visibly and sighed. 

“Yeah. No thanks to me.” He thought about it for a moment and turned back to her. “Look I wasn’t trying to push you and that other guy out. I was expecting her, and I knew if you were there they would have killed ya.” Kate looked up at him. 

“I don’t really remember that night much. I think it was the trauma and whiskey.” Ronin chuckled. 

“Yeah we kinda gave you a lot. I’m glad Echo brought you to Danny and Dareth. Safer there then with me.” He cleared his throat before sitting back down against the wall. 

“They’re going to kill us...aren’t they?” Kate asked. Ronin sighed and nodded. 

“Yeah probably.” 

“Not a chance. Dareth will come.” 

“He’s got that code in him Danny. He’ll come, but he won’t be able to fight them off. He’s useless!” Danny felt herself prickle. 

“I have to believe that if he had a choice of saving me and obeying that code...he’d do what he could.” 

“You put too much faith in droids Danny.” 

“And you don’t put enough...in anyone.” Danny looked back up through the skylight as another flash overtook the room. 

“You both fight like you know each other.” 

“Oh yeah. You remember that lady I told you about that threw down a ton of money to save someone?” Kate nodded and looked up at Ronin. “Thats her.” kates eyes grew wide as she looked at Danny. 

“Are you a secret millionaire or something?” Kate said jokingly. 

“Well I was...was a partner of Borg industries. I got royalties on all the droids I created.” Danny told Kate as she looked back down at her. “So yes…” 

They both gawked. 

“You said...was? So that's probably a no now.” Ronin said as he stretched and put his hat over his eyes getting ready to nap. 

“Yes, I was a partner. Now I own the company.” 

Kate spat hot tea all over the pages. Danny just chuckled.


	28. Chapter 28

Shakin’ off the Rust

Chapter 28  
The plan

“That is a horrible plan…” Archie looked up from the mixer. Sliding a drink down toward one of the customers. 

“You got a better plan?”

“Yeah...don’t.” Archie ran a cloth over his knuckles having got cream on it. 

“Don’t? Don’t go? She’s my wife Archie!” 

“She’s a human!” Everyone in the room looked at Archie. Midnight sighed as she walked across the room. 

“I’m afraid the war has us all on edge. Humans can do things that you wouldn’t know of Dareth. They did things to us that…” Midnight felt Archie put his arm around her. 

“There were things they did to us that were far worse than you can imagine. Its got us questioning if we want to share this city at all.” Archie steered Midnight toward the back. 

Dareth looked at Zane. The tank fitted snugly on his back. The mask over his face didn’t leave out the anger he felt. 

“So you won’t help us get my sister back?” Zane asked, motioning to Echo who didn’t look too happy either. 

[Don’t need his help anyways. We can do this on our own.] He opened the door and jumped back when a black figure landed on the concrete. Echo backpedaled into Zane who held his shoulders. He was slightly taller then Echo. 

“Who the hell are you?” The person motioned to them to follow. Zane turned to look at Dareth who nodded. They needed help, and it looked like this person had a plan. 

For a few blocks they sloshed through the freezing puddles. Finally after a few moments they came to a clinic. The person opened the door, and waited for them to come in. 

“They are vastly superior in the ways of technology. This...Nadya person is a smart tool and created by Doctor Julien to do this sort of work.” He motioned to the wall. Pulling a curtain up on the white board. It looked more like a classroom then a clinic. Echo knew this place to be the stand in college. 

The board itself had pictures, newspaper clippings, and written letters. All tied together using a spider web stringing. 

“You’ve been studying them?” Zane asked seeing Danny, Dareth, and Odette in the newspaper clipping that told them that they produced the first hybrid child. Then of course there was an area for Spencer and Inky. Inky was much younger in the picture. 

“She has the mastery of shadows.” Dareth told her motioning to additional information and it wasn’t there. The guy wrote it down on a sticky note and placed it down. 

“How did you know about...that?” Echo motioned to Kate. 

“I also work in shadow...I don’t have the element for it though.” The person stood back looking at everything. “But I do know where she is...and I’ve already got codes to get into the building. I just need...a team.” He turned to look at the three men standing in front of him. The door opened and Archie walked into the room and put his hands on his hips. 

“Thought you didn’t want any of this.” Dareth growled out. Archie sighed, running his fingers through his hair. 

“Yeah, but she’s my sister too.” He hated doing that. He really hated it. But...when midnight gave him those eyes he knew she was going to ask him to go. He didn’t really want to deal with all that mess right now. It would take less effort to go. “But who's the kid?” He motioned to the person in the black leather and bike helmet. 

“We donno. But he’s offering to help.” 

“Offering? More like leading you into a trap. What makes you think I’d follow you in?” Archie stomped up to the stranger. 

“Because…” The person pulled the helmet off and looked up at Archie who just chuckled. “She’s my sister too.” Inky told him.


	29. Chapter 29

Breathe

Chapter 29  
Tiny Angel

Whistling. Why was someone whistling? It was the middle of the night, and her hip was hurting her a little. Probably because the room was cold. She turned over in the small pile of sheets they gave them to share. Thin, and slightly damp and smells a bit mildewy. She gasped as she sat up and looked around the room for any sort of help. She tried so hard to let her fear be known through the implant but pinged back. Dane wasn’t active. She felt the tears going down her cheeks. She was panicking. 

“Why hello, Ms. Pierce...or are you Darzuski now? Such a pity to waste your kin on a droid.” The eyes flashed before her and she collapsed. It was like something in her mind pushed her into the farthest reaches of her mind. 

‘Someone please...not again…’ 

A low chuckle echoed within the prison cell. Dr. Julien walked into the room just in view of the room. Looking down at his step daughter who lay on the ground panting. 

“I think you damn near scared her to death, Gaya.” He looked at the woman beside him. 

“Almost…” 

(0)

Dareth rubbed his head feeling slightly sore from being cooped up in a black sedan for hours. As soon as the gate opened and three sedans drove toward a large mansion Inky’s Sedan joined the parade. Lining the car up along the side of the house as someone stepped out. 

“That woman…” It was Angela, and Agatha who walked out of the car and walked up the steps toward the house. It looked like old traditional dynasty type housing. Even the sounds of peacocks off in the distance. The gravel crunched under the tires as they followed the other cars into the garage. The guards climbed out and started to wash the car. There master didn’t like dirtiness. 

Dareth pulled at his tie. He wasn’t like Archie. He hated wearing these things. 

“Alright we need four to go up to the house and guard the women.” Inky who had pulled his hair up into a ponytail and wore a sword on his back like the others. Obviously having watched these guys a lot. Echo copied him wearing his on his back rather than under his shirt upside down. Dareth looked more brute force then needing a sword but Zane looked strange being so scrawny and had no weapon on him. 

“You look like a drug dealer.” Inky told him. Zane looked shocked for a moment, but it was just playful. Inky chuckled as Dareth pulled Zane in and Dane popped forward. The rocks crunching under his feet as he stretched. 

“Guh...my back hurts. What did you two do?” He turned one way then the other trying to pop his back and leaned one way then the other. Loud pops and he smiled. 

“Hi Dane.” Inky smiled at him. Dane was still his hero. 

“What happened to the little boy that I rescued three years ago?” Dane grabbed him and gave him a noogy. 

“Alright wheres D…” Dane stumbled and held his head. “Danny…” he looked to be in shock. 

‘Dane, breathe!’ Zane called out. 

‘What is it Dane?’ Dareth asked looking around for anything that might have hit Dane had enough to pull him off kelter. 

“Danny’s in... She’s fainted. But the last image she left me with was of someone that Dareth destroyed. Gaya...you shot her...didn’t you?”

‘Gaya is dead.’ Dareth confirmed. 

“No, Danny says she’s alive.”


	30. Chapter 30

Breathe

Chapter 30  
Implant

Spencers house was a little cluttered at the moment. Boxes in front of doorways, A chair in front of a door holding it close. She had been under the impression that Odette wasn’t mobile. Mostly because Dareth held her all the time. But much to Spencers amazement, after her nap she climbed right out of her cot. For a three month old that was odd in general. But then again Odette was a hybrid and perhaps her cognitive brain was far more advanced then any human child. She had to write that down...great...no pencil. She sighed as she watched Odette chew on her fingers and look around the room. 

To Odette this new place was very interesting. There was so much to see, so much to do, and OMG...she wondered what that tasted like? She reached up to grab the curtain tassel and shoved it into her mouth. 

Okay not that good…Odette pulled the tassel from her mouth and gave Spencer the most disgusted face. 

“Of course sweetie. Its not going to taste good.” She tried to pick up the kid. But she wiggled free and off she went again. Spencer just smiled and followed. If Danny and Dareth weren’t back before nap time though there would be a problem. 1. Odette would be hungry and want to be fed, and 2. Dareths the only one who can put her to sleep. 

Odette leaned back and plopped backwards looking up at the ceiling fan. 

“Ooooo….” Spencer just laughed and looked down at her. 

“Fan.” Spencer tried to teach her. Odette just reached up and tried to touch the ceiling fan. Which was impossible for her tiny arms to reach. But she still tried. 

(0)

~Squeak, Squeak, Squeak~

“Dane...does Danny not oil you?” Inky asked. There was a snicker from E as he walked into the security office. One of the guards stood up. 

“Hey new meat. Looks like we got ourselves a new set of guards.” The old guy stretched. “Good now I can fucking retire.” This guys bad mouth wasn’t something that Dareth wanted to hear, but of course Dane had the legs at the moment. 

“Yeah, alright where are we goin?” Dane tried to act all macho. But it just looked like he learned it from an old western. 

“Alright you see that block there? Thats where they keepin them two dames, and that guy. Make sure they stay inside while the boss does some work uptown. Apparently a few shop owners got together to try to take us down. Fat lotta good that's gonna do.” He laughed. “Alright I’m out.” He stood up grabbed a water bottle and left the room. 

“Disguise time?” Inky asked. His skin shimmered and his hair, and eyes changed color to the guy who had just left. He smiled as he pulled at his mustache. “Never had one of these before. I can’t grow facial hair.” He stopped smiling and grumbled. “Itchy.” He turned to look around at the other two and the only thing that was changed on them was the fact that they put on mustaches. 

“What?” Dane asked, running his fingers over the Master Wu type facial hair. 

“No...those look...horrible.” Inky pulled the two into the security room. They both left looking completely different. 

Dane had on a tighter shirt, and skirt. His hair was pulled up into a bun and the make up looked great.

“Kid...I’m not going to ask about how you know how to put this stuff on...but you should seriously get a job with it.” Dane said and cleared his throat trying to sound more like he did at that party. His heels clicked the floor as he went. 

E’s hair was spiked, and his teeth were sharper. One arm was a cannon and his pants were ripped at the knees. His shirt was completely unbuttoned. 

“Don’t forget to look displeased.” He told his older brother. 

[I AM displeased]

“Perfect...now go and make sure everyone knows it.” Inky sat down on the chair and watched.


	31. Chapter 31

Breathe

Chapter 31  
Knowing

“What the hell is this?” 

“It really is none of your business Angie.” Dr. Juliens voice was something Danny never thought she would hear again. Was she dead? Was that why she saw Gaya?

Danny opened her eyes and looked around the room for a moment. She saw Gaya sitting down in a chair. Her fingernails were being done by someone she didn’t know. Probably just a worker. 

She looked up at Dr. Julien who was talking to a woman with the oddest color hair...but then again there was Inky. 

“Oh sweetheart I know you're probably dizzy. Your dads…” Her voice changed from soothing to accusing quickly. “A great big con artist!” 

“Don’t start with me right now Angie. I will have you thrown in the…” 

“Oh both of you stop it. You're like an old married couple.” Gaya stood up and walked toward Danny. 

“We are an old married couple!” They both called out at the same time. 

Okay that was news to Danny’s ears. She wasn’t aware her father had been married before her mother. 

She felt something being strapped onto the back of her neck. Just what were they planning on doing?

“Alright. Ready on this end.” 

“What...what are you going to…” Danny wanted to cry out. She really did. But she wasn’t given time before unconsciousness. 

‘Dane? Dane...can you hear me?’

(0)

Dane wasn’t sure if he went the right way. This whole place looked the same, white walls, white floors, white ceiling, white doors...how did anyone get around in there?

‘I think the same thing about our highschool.’ Zane said. 

Dane started pulling a little to his left and he started leaning against the wall. 

‘Dane? Dane...can you hear me?’ He knew that voice. They all did. The only person who knew what to do with this implant. ‘I’ve got Danny...if you want her back. I’m going to need something from you. Come to the lab.’ 

“Wish I could...but I can’t find my way around this hospital.” Dane said through clenched teeth. He couldn’t even move. 

‘Oh that ones easy. Its just a huge circle...you’ll find your way here.’ 

Dane fell to his knees holding his head. 

[Dane?] Dane felt someone help him up. 

“N...Nothing just a bit of a smart. They’re gonna hurt Danny. You go that way. I’ll go this way. Apparently it's a huge circle so…” 

E held the cannon up and fired it at the wall. 

“Ah there you are. A bit brutal...Echo?” Julien smiled. “Why hello dear boy. I thought you were killed.” 

[No thanks to you.] E held up the cannon. 

“Oh my dear boy I’m afraid I can’t understand binary. But if you're looking for your sister she’s right there. However if you were to remove that from her neck” Dr. Julien reached over and lightly touched Danny’s neck. She screamed with horrible pain. 

“I see…” Dane narrowed his eyes. 

“As much as this one was a failure...we have a new test subject. After she was finished with her paperwork...she turned out to be a very willing subject to help protect her dear brother.” Gaya walked along with Angela to wheel in Kate. Her head bandaged much like Danny’s had been before.


	32. Chapter 32

Breathe

Chapter 32  
Silent Song

Kate hated this feeling. She had it a few weeks ago when she woke up after having her appendix removed. It took her forever to get her homework done only to find out the college had been canceled. Her mouth felt like it was filled with cotton and she wondered why the back of her neck hurt so much. 

She slowly opened her eyes to see Echo standing there looking at her. She tried to move, the cuffs kept her down. She didn’t try very hard either. She wanted to just…

“She’s awake.” Angela told Julien. Julien looked around at Kate who looked twice as confused. 

“Who?” 

“Good afternoon Kate. I am Dr. Julien. I am the father to Echo.” 

[He wishes he was...gotta act like one first.] Echo grumbled. 

“This is…” She tried to speak, but her mind was just too tired. Echo walked forward watching as Julien held up what looked like the same thing that was on Dannys neck. Echo stopped. 

“Good boy. We have work to do.” He motioned for Echo to sit in a chair. Echo didn’t look like he wanted to comply but he sat down dropping the cannon to the floor. 

Dane looked around at Danny. 

‘Instruments say she’s alive, and breathing, but there's something that's causing her heart rate to go up.’ Dane looked over Danny. He wanted to touch her. To tell her it was alright. But every time he felt over the implant it was like she was asleep and unresponsive. Almost like she was...Dane gulped. He didn’t like that thought at all

“I wouldn’t if I were you. One touch, and she’ll die.” Gaya stuffed a grape in her mouth. 

“How did you survive?” Dane inquired. Gaya just shrugged. 

“I was never alive to begin with. I’m just a droid. Just like you.” She yawned and sat back again. 

She seemed so laid back like she ran the show. She probably did. As long as what she wanted was being done. She didn’t give a second thought. 

Julien looked at Echo.   
“Now access her bluetooth.” He smiled holding up a needle with what looked like rainbow liquid in it. That was impossible...right? 

Kate felt the cold liquid go into her bloodstream as she felt someone access something...access...how odd? Her eyes snapped open and she could see exactly what Echo was seeing. 

“Now tell her to sit up.” 

[Sit up.] Kate couldn’t help it. She sat up despite the pain. Despite how tired she was she sat up. 

“Good...very good.” Julien smiled and looked around at Danny. 

“Now Echo...tell Kate to kill Danny.” Echo gasped and shook his head. “Or else.” 

Kate climbed out of bed and walked toward Danny. Dane jumped up and blocked her way. 

“Dane...move.” Julien instructed. 

“Now, I ain’t gotta listen to a word you say Julien. You stopped being human long ago.” 

“Human...is relative.” He looked at Echo. “Echo...push...her harder.” 

Kate flinched and tried to shove past Dane who picked up Kate and looked her in the eyes. 

“You're human Kate...ya don’t gotta do this.” Dane set her down and lightly pushed her into Echos arms. “Now ya stay there.” 

“Dane…” the lights went out. The implant came alive and he could feel Danny crying. Dane reached out and snatched the piece from her neck and picked her up. 

“Run Echo!” He called out.


	33. Chapter 33

Breathe

Chapter 33  
Boom

Inky sat back in his seat looking over the security cameras. Spotting Echo blowing a hole in the wall and then going into another room. He spotted Danny, and then saw them wheel out a woman he didn’t know. But it would appear Echo did. What was going on?

Watching as Kate went after Danny. Inky did the only thing he could do from his head. He looked around at the circuit board and picked up the fire extinguisher and rammed it. 

Alright then...that was it...well...almost. Pulling out something from inside his jacket and putting it against the wall as he ran out of the room. The red digital light ticking as the bomb counted down from…

4:49…

Dane looked down at Danny. He wished he had an oxygen tank on him. He didn’t have anything. He would just have to make a run for it. 

“They’re not going to be able to breathe Echo...we’ll have to run.” 

4:01

Echo had a huge headache. He wanted nothing more than to sit back in a dark room and power down for a few hours. The last time he felt this bad was after he came out of the coma his dad put him in to experiment on him. 

3:19

Inky ran into the garage and climbed into the sedan. 

“Hey you can’t take that car!” One yelled. Inky rolled down the window. 

“Well then come on. Boss said he needs to go to the airport now. Lets go ass holes!” The guys climbed into the cars and followed Inky...lining them up outside the building. 

1:37

Dane and Echo ran out of the building and into the car. Inky fired a gun at the tires of the other sedans. Climbing into the front seat he drove away from the building as the other bodyguards raced after him on foot. 

0:13

“Cover their heads!” Inky called to the back seat. 

0:03

0:02

0:01…

They didn’t hear anything...actually it just felt like a slight thump...but then the shockwave hit them shattering all the windows. 

Dane couldn’t hear anything but a ringing in his ears. Dizzy. He couldn’t move very well either like something rocked his whole body. He slowly looked up to see Inky still driving. At least it didn’t appear to have bothered him much. 

‘Dane?’ He felt a soft hand on his cheek. He looked down to see the tired expression of Danny. He knew she probably wasn’t breathing too well. At least they were in the woods just outside the city. The trees were able to make their own oxygen. 

‘Seeds…’ 

who said that? Dane’s eyes closed on their own. 

“What do you mean explosion? Your father was alive? GAYA!” 

Dane heard a slightly more softer voice. At least the ringing stopped. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. He felt something on his chest. He looked down to see Odette purring lightly as she snoozed. He looked around to see Spencer with Danny laying on the couch. Her hair around the area of the implant looked...white. Hair that turned white. Spencer didn’t look pleased. 

“Who’s that girl?” She shot Echo a look. He had a bag of ice on his neck. Kate's head sat down on his lap which had a pillow on it. 

[Her name is Kate.] Echo looked down at her. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked so pale to him. He ran an ice cube over her lips. It was the only way he’s been able to give her water without her spitting it back up. 

“Is she your girlfriend now?” Spencer asked looking up from putting a bandage on Danny’s neck. 

[I don…]

“Yes.” Kate said. Echo looked down at her. Having not felt that she was awake. He looked up at his mom who looked almost angry at first, then surprised, and then upset, and then confused. 

“Well then...I guess the last ones Zane.” 

“Actually Zanes got a girlfriend.” Dane spoke softly so not to wake up Odette. 

“Guh!” Spencer growled and walked into the kitchen. “Fine! I guess I’ll just have to plan weddings then!” they could hear her making dinner in the next room. 

“She's mad?” Kate asked. 

“No...that's happy.” Danny said slowly, sitting up and leaned her head back on the cushions. You’d think that hurt. But actually putting pressure on the wound made it feel a bit better.


	34. Chapter 34

Breathe

Chapter 34  
Announcement

She was nervous. She kept going over everything in her head. She kept trying to think of everything, but she always felt like she was forgetting something. Going from one foot to the other or walking from one end of the platform to another. The woman who was to interview her smiled at her. 

“You're too nervous. It's alright.” easy for her to say. She was used to being on tv. She felt a strong arm around her. She looked up at Dareth as he once again set to watching Odette. 

“Take a deep breath, and exhale slowly.” Dareth told her. She did what she was told. 

“Ma…” Danny looked down at Odette. She had taken to calling them. Although now that she started she probably wouldn’t ever stop talking. Dareth blamed the tv. Danny hardly watched it unless it was 11 at night and it was the weather. 

Danny took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

Walking up onto the stage, she felt slightly better. 

“Mrs. Darzuski. You told us that the droids aren’t something to worry about. Why is that?” 

“Because like us, all they really want is a place to be. They were programmed to do a specific job. We allowed them to do so, and most of them are still doing them. They can’t help that they’re emissions systems cause pollution. There's so many of them, and so few of us. Its only natural that Ninjago City belongs to them. I know thats a much debated thing, but I don’t think its a good idea that we go back to the city at all. What I propose is a twin city. We make another city for ourselves and we live in harmony with one another...however...there's a problem. The pollution.” Danny told them. 

“And how do you believe with how poor people are after they lost the city and working in farms built this twin city?” 

“Borg Industries is a multi trillion dollar business. I believe we can help with that. We also are in the process of building new droids that are self sufficient and run on solar power. These droids would help us plant more trees, to help with the pollution. We have a batch of seeds we found that can pull in toxins and push out fresh air.” Danny felt like she was going to end up with a migraine after this. The whole crowd looked angry. 

“How long will this process take?” 

“With the help of the people and of course actually getting paid for the efforts. The city will be put up in no time. However...first things first...the pollution. We have to fix what we’ve broken.” 

~  
It wasn’t...that simple. The small saplings couldn’t survive the climate, and they couldn’t get them to grow into full trees. 

Danny found herself at an impasse. Just what were they going to do? They needed an expert and they just didn’t have that sort of knowledge for old seeds, or trees. 

She took a deep breath again and listened to the wind outside the farmhouse window. 

“Danny you need to sleep.” She looked up as Dareth pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear. He looked so gentle to her. Such a huge tank of a man...well...compared to her. With a purring child on his chest. 

“Have you ever thought about more?” Danny asked Dareth as she ran her fingers over Odettes head. She had eaten a bowl full of milk mixed with sand. Honestly it looked like oatmeal. 

“Not after what happened with her.” he looked at her sadly. “It scared me, I thought I was going to lose you both.” 

“Well I didn’t mean immediately...but maybe some years down the road. But right now...I have work to do.” Danny yawned, turning over burying her face in her pillow. 

“Perhaps.” Dareth almost had himself powered down when there was a rustle and then Odette started to cry. “But first this one.” Dareth laughed as Danny sat up to feed her.


	35. Chapter 35

Absolution

Chapter 35  
Aloe

His systems began to boot back up. His vision was clouding up. Whoa...what caused that?

Droid parts, and random pieces slid away as he emerged from under them. The droid stretched, and eyed the pile he had created. 

‘Oh no. Now that's a shame. The act ended so terribly.’ Aloe thought to himself. Shaking his legs free from the large mass of pieces. 

The memories lingered, just a show stopper that led everyone in an uproar. Fireworks, glitter, and lots of cheering. It was a horrible temporary funeral for everyone. 

Well temporary for him anyways.   
The damage to the droids seemed irreversible. At least he had his rubber tubing that protected him...for the most part. 

‘Ah well, ce’la vie, as Mr. Steels always said. The show must go on.’ He couldn’t physically talk, but he thought of a lot of things.

He hobbled a bit and did some more stretching. Standing like an olympian. Getting a running start he started to cartwheel and flipped landing gracefully with his arms held up like a swan. It was then that he noticed the very different world they lived in. 

He noticed the large metal plate that they had sat the tent on because of the mud in the area. Perhaps that was the cause for all that back there. He wasn’t too sure how it happened still...but it did seem to include that noisy black metal plate. 

Two Years Later

Dareth bounced Odette on his knee. Her giggles were infectious. Dareth heard them and he couldn’t help but smile with her. 

“Oh listen to that laugh.” Danny wiggled her foot. “Alright then…” Odettes smile disappeared and she looked down at her leg. Danny had pulled the needle out before Odette knew what bit her. It was a thing they had to do once every three months. Just a dose of vitamins she couldn’t get because she was a hybrid. Which also included charcoal. 

“Ouch…” Odette rubbed the spot where Dareth was attempting to put a bandaid on. 

“Danny! There's a jerk at the door.” 

Cryptor had his old job back. He was five years older and in college now, but he still needed a job. Military had been disbanded after the wars.

“A jerk?” She asked Cryptor who nodded. 

“Yeah the EMT’s brought him in. Said he was so rusted that some of his limbs were falling off.” 

“Oh wow...he must be old then.” Danny watched as they wheeled the guy into the operating room. Danny watched him as his head slowly turned toward her. 

‘Doc?’ Aloe thought. 

“Hello, I’m Dr. Danny. I’ll be l...oh my...you have a lot of damage. Can you tell me how this happened?” As soon as Danny asked he started gesturing wildly. She realized that this was going to take a lot of work. 

“Um...I’m going to hook you up to a fonix machine. You’ll be able to speak.” Danny pulled a cord out and hooked it into his neck. 

Danny covered her ears for a moment. Odette had to do it too. Dareth pulled her closer and cuddled her till the feedback wore out. 

“Alright try now.” 

“Test...Test...OMG is that me? Is that my voice! Huzzah!” He laughed loudly. 

“You’ve never spoken before?”

“No reason to speak when all I do is dance.” He waved at Odette who gave him a soft wave back. “I’m Aloe by the way. Aloe Steels.” Danny slowly turned to look at Dareth. 

“Your dad...have any more kids that he ever mentioned?” Dareth ran his fingers down his face. 

“I’ll go ask Kate...she’s been translating those scrolls in her spare time.”


	36. Chapter 36

Absolution

Chapter 36  
TEAR

Kate wasn’t normal by any means actually she found herself to be on her own by the age of 13. Living her life on the streets. Getting food wherever she could. Mostly within warehouses. Refrigerated warehouses were the best to go through at night when everyone closed up shop. She knew the ones by now to go into that didn’t have cameras. Sleeping in the frozen food areas while it was boiling hot outside was awesome. Especially on Sundays when she could just lay there all day and eat ice cream. 

Now she had a job at a local library where she would stay with Echo. There was a small apartment and an even smaller kitchen. But it was good for them. It wasn’t like they were looking for anything permanent yet. No Kate's eyes were on a linguistics job at the local museum. It was where she was walking back from after putting in her application. She wasn’t looking for a job just yet. Just some intern work to get that part out of the way. Get a real feel for the job. It made her happy. 

She could hear rumbling off in the distance She had to hurry if she was going to...well okay that was one way to derail her train of thought. A piece of large paper smacked her in the face. Looking over it she gasped realizing it was one of the missing pieces of parchment she needed to decode in ancient ninjagian a few years before. How nostalgic?

Reading a few words out loud. It was a lot easier now that she studied it in its entirety. A loud rumble, well okay that sounded a lot closer. Okay that wasn’t the storm something under her feet began to rumble. She fell on her backside and scooted backwards. The questioning thought that came from Echo from her implant. 

A soft ‘I donno’ was the only answer he got. It got Echo moving. From his seat at home.

In front of Kate was a large white building. The door slid open with a curt snap. Kate slowly stood up gathering her back and dusted her bum. She slowly peaked through the door. 

“Hello?” She called out hoping to find someone. At least they could tell her what was going on. But the place seemed empty. Moreover, it was very technical.

“What is this place?” The lights turned on above her. She jumped back and looked around. 

{Hello! Would you like to initiate AWAKEN protocol?!} the voice echoed as if coming from several speakers at the same time. Perhaps there was a volume button. The voice was so monotone to be set to such a volume.

“S...Sure. I mean...y-yes.” Kate hugged herself as she walked further into the room looking at everything as the protocol slowly turned everything on. 

Everything turned on in succession as she walked around the room following it. The walls sliding as the ceiling rose up. Kate had never seen something so...wow. The inner rings of walls lined up and opened up to show inner chambers. It looked as if a great number of people lived there at some point or could live there if they needed to. 

{AWAKENING complete]

Kate looked around in awe. She could see the majority of everything and none of it made any sense to her. She wasn’t tech savvy. Actually that was the reason why she went to books. She couldn’t understand computers. So she did the only thing she really knew how...introductions. 

“Hello,” She said again. She gave a small wave. Kate wasn’t even sure if he could see her. “I’m Kate Barnaby. Language student. May I ask to whom I have awakened?” 

{Keyword: ‘awakened’ placeholder ‘Activation’ You have activated TEAR: Terra Echo Apparatus Region.} Adding nothing else other than what was asked. It was obviously an earlier model AI and probably didn’t have emotions like Dareth did.

Kate walked around a little. There were rooms that looked like small apartments. A bathroom, and even a kitchen with 8 seats. It was such a big place. So much bigger than she thought it would be. It took her a good 30 minutes to look around. 

Kate walked back into the main room, looking up at the screen that she mostly saw as TEARs face since the words showed up on it. 

“What's your purpose?” She asked looking at the radar seeing that storm coming up on them quickly. So much for leaving without getting wet. 

{TEAR was built to promote living, growth, and well being of humans by supplying filtered water and housing multiple greenhouses for plants to grow and sustain life.} the response was monotone and to the point. Nothing more and nothing less as if he were reading from a very boring book.

There were labeled buttons on the bottom of the console with pictures on them. 

Aside from that there was a book next to it. Kate smiled plucking the book up and started to read it. 

Hours went by without her knowing. She had spent the rest of the day learning about the systems and even walking around to see what was being talked about. She ended up stopping when she heard a loud grumbling. She stopped, looked around and then looked down. It was her stomach.

“Oh...I totally forgot dinner.” She giggled and stood up putting the book back where she got it and made her way to the door picking up her book bag. 

“Um...TEAR...lock up sequence is advised” She walked toward the door. 

{Initiating lockdown sequence?}

Kate giggled and opened the door and red optics met hers.


	37. Chapter 37

Absolution

Chapter 37  
Fixer Upper

Two Years earlier

The droid opened his eyes looking around his surroundings. It was foggy. Reaching up and rubbing the dust from his visual plate. 

The area was dark and musty. His feet clicked as he walked across the hard metal floor, legs looking like hooves rather than feet. He had to steady himself before walking around. At least the air was breathable, not that he had much of a problem with things like that. His systems worked subconsciously to filter the air around him. 

It took him a little while to look around and see if anything needed fixing. He opened a door to another room where there were rows and rows of dirt followed by the walls of seeds. Seeds go in dirt. That was easy enough. He set himself to work, and set the meters before closing the door. 

Walking through the darkened room, he hummed to himself an old song he remembered someone singing. Wasn’t too sure who it was, or the tune's name, but it was catchy. 

Feeling along the wall, he found the grooves that made up the doors seam and then the knob. He turned the handle and pushed open the door. It closed with a snap behind him. 

He was able to see over the tree line as twilight settled upon the city. His eyes fell on the dome on the side of the mountain. His systems hooked onto the internet and he caught up with the date, time, and the news. 

“Of course, yes of course humans would ruin the planet…” He waved with some disgust at the green hugh the city left off. 

~Two Years later~

“And you can build me a new body?! How?! You do not have my blueprints...I’m sure they’re somewhere!” Danny liked this droid's upbeat personality. Plus the fact that he kept looking at Odette who was chewing on a strawberry that Dareth handed her. 

“What is she?” Aloes finger trailed along Odette's leg. Dareth just chuckled. 

“I’m sure you know what a toddler is?” 

“Well yes, of course, but...she’s different.” He looked up at Danny with brightened eyes. He was a curious one that was for sure. 

“She’s a hybrid. I am human, and Dareth is a droid. We created her together.” Danny felt Dareth’s hand in hers. 

“That's...possible?” Aloe had an almost warm smile on his face for a moment before, “Could we?” He asked. Danny’s face went red. 

“Of course not!” She turned away from him. Dareth understood what Aloe meant, but Danny of course took it the human way. 

“You should never ask a woman that as soon as you meet them.” Dareth told Aloe as Danny pulled something that looked like a large light toward him. It fit over his chest. 

“A human attaches itself to one being maybe two a lifetime. We do not last as long as droids do. To you we last but a moment. Dareth will live with this fact.” Danny often wondered if Odette would have a human's span or a droid. But as it would seem Odette's aging had slowed down a bit. 

“Alright hold very still.” Danny told Aloe. 

“Wait, but why?”

“I’m going to scan your inner workings so I can build your new body with your actual blueprints.” Danny smiled down at him. 

“No...I mean why can I not?”

“Because you and I are not connected.” That was news to Dareth. He had no idea how he and Danny were able to create Odette other than the DNA and Algorithms they possessed. It was a bit too...sciencey for him. 

“Is it because you two are...connected? How?” 

“When I was in another realm a doctor there was able to fit me with nanite technology. These nanites seek out the nanites within Dareth and they are able to uh...help.” She didn’t want to get into droid and human sex education at the moment. It was all very embarrassing to talk about with someone. To Dareth, it was news to him. 

However…

He was thankful for it. The little hybrid yawning in his arm but playing with the buttons on his shirt absentmindedly as she began to drift off to sleep. She had been a constant in his life and he’d never trade her for anything in the universe. 

“Alright done. Now...it’ll take a few hours for the 3D printer to print up your new body. Until then...I’ll turn on the tv and you can learn about the city.” She turned it on. His eyes scanned the words from the news reporter who was covered from head to toe in plastic screening so she didn’t breath in the fumes. 

“Oh...Blu’s not going to be too happy about this…”


	38. Chapter 38

Absolution

Chapter 38  
Poor

The storm rumbled outside and shook the ground a bit. Danny didn’t mind too much, she rather liked watching it. The tiny whimper behind her told her that Odette didn’t like the sound, it was ruining her nap. But the large hand that held her protectively to his chest changed that. She yawned and curled in again. 

Oh Dareth didn’t miss that look at Danny's face. It was soft and warm as she looked at them, her whole world wrapped up in his large hand. Odette wasn’t any bigger then his arm still, but she was growing. That's all that mattered. Dareth reached out and pulled Danny to him. Leaving a gentle kiss on her forehead. A soft beep and Cryptors voice got Odette and Aloe to look at the monitor. 

“Danny!” 

“Yes?” 

“Your brother’s calling.” Danny looked at her watch. It wasn’t time to go home yet. Did the house burn down or something? Why would Zane be…

“It's Echo...he seems very insistent. They found something. They won’t say what it is. Just that it was really close to the junkyard.” Cryptor had stuck his head into the room. Odette hissed at him and curled into a very tight ball against Dareths chest. He just chuckled. He thought it was more of a game to catch her be surprise. 

“She’s going to be tall enough to kick your knee one day. I’m going to let her.” Danny told Cryptor. He just laughed and walked out again. 

“One day I’d love to just…” 

“Yes, but you can’t...so I’ll have to do it for you.” Danny growled looking down at Aloe who had changed the channel to cartoons. He had told them the news was far too serious. “We’ll be back Aloe. You still have a few hours left on your body being built so sit tight and keep watching the uh...well...I think thats...hum...these new cartoons I know nothing about. Always so...bright and color coded.” She shrugged and walked out of the room. They hardly let Odette watch tv unless it was a holiday and they had holiday shows on. 

At least the rain had stopped by the time they got out to the car. Dareth put Odette in her car seat and sat down next to her. She was still sleeping, her little thumb in her mouth, and she’d nap like that for a little while now. 

(0)

Adventuring around TEAR, Echo and Kate found the bathroom and garden. TEAR turned out to be more than just a huge dome. But that of a garden. Within seemed to be a huge ecosystem. It even had birds. Some thought to have gone extinct thanks to the pollution. The birds even landed close to them unafraid of them. They had never had to worry about predators. 

“TEAR you are incredible.” Kate was astounded she didn’t even hear TEARs comment. Echo heard it. The AI had no idea the place existed. Could TEAR not see within the building? 

Kates stomach growled loudly however. She blushed and walked out of the room. Her eyes had spotted the veggies within. But she had no permission to eat any of it, and the last thing she wanted was to annoy the AI by taking what wasn't hers.

[Kate?] Echo called back to her. She was hungry, and he knew she was. But...he walked over picking some carrots, onions, tomatoes, and peppers. Now only if they had rice, and eggs. It took a bit for him to find the rice, and chickens. But he was able to put the rice plants into a bowl. Shake then up enough to cultivate a cup and a half of rice. 

Kate looked around as she exited the bathroom. Her hair was put up in a towel and she was in some clothing that was...well at least...kind of clean. They’d have to get some soaps to use on the laundry there. They didn’t have any soap that wasn’t soap flakes and stuck together from being over the expiration date for centuries. 

It also made her hair stick together a bit. Her comb broke...twice. She sighed as she looked at her hair. 

She sniffed the air and her mouth watered. She slowly peaked into the kitchen to see Echo standing there A bag full of feathers , and a pan steaming hot. He was lightly humming. 

“Echo?” He turned to look at her as she pointed to the bag. Whispering “Did you kill a chicken?”


	39. Chapter 39

Absolution

Chapter 39  
Back to the Beginning

Danny parked the car on the side of the road. The GPS reading that Echo was giving off had them within that large white partly covered building. They couldn’t really see it at all. According to what Danny figured, time buried the building and it just had been hidden there for some time away from prying eyes. But then again...she could be wrong. 

All the possibilities kept playing out in her head as she pushed the car door closed. Dareth climbed out of the car and put the now awake child onto his shoulders. Odettes fingers ran over her dad's hair as they walked, her eyes curiously scanning the area. 

“Oooo…” She pointed to a jack rabbit that went bounding across the road. 

“Bunny.” Dareth talked softly to her. Odette however didn’t say it. Much to Danny and Dareths disdain she wouldn’t say anything other then ma and Pop. She just put her cheek on Dareths head and made a grabby fingers gesture to the bunny. “No…” Dareth chuckled. “I can’t just pick it up and give it to you. It's a wild animal, it could harm you or we could harm it. It's best to watch from a distance.” Odette seemed sad about it, but she also seemed to understand the word harm. 

Danny rang the bell beside the door. 

(0)

Kate hadn’t had a meal taste good in some time. Most foods she ate were given to her by super markets and they were mostly almost expired. These veggies were fresh, and even the meat was tender. She sat back and sighed patting her belly as she savored the feeling of actually being full. To Echo, she was getting too skinny. 

~Ding~

The doorbell was a very soft chime. But it came from all the speakers so it was unmistakable. Echo stood up having drank some oil, it was all he could have as dinner. He had to have at least 1 cup of it a day or he just locked up. 

“I’ll start cleaning.” Kate called out and started to clear the table. Washing the dishes as she went. Throwing the bag of feathers away. 

“I didn’t know Echo would…” She closed the compactor and cleared her throat. Washing her hands. “But it was good…” She took a wet cloth and started to clean the table. 

“What...is this?” Danny’s voice sounded so concerned almost. Kate looked out of the kitchen to see Odette looking into one of the cameras. Her finger in her mouth and drool going down her elbow. 

“I donno...I found a blueprint...well it kind of slapped my face. But yeah...I said the activation codes and...this came out of the ground.” Dareth looked over the blueprints and noticed the name ‘steels’ down in the corner. He ran his hand over his face. 

“Pops had his toe in here too. Um...maybe…” He grumbled and put his hands around Odette and put her in his arms. “Stay.” He told her. She curled into a ball and looked at him over her tiny knees. 

“Daww she’s so cute.” Kate giggled. 

Dareth stuffed his finger into a socket on the camera. 

[EXTERNAL OPERATOR DETECTED. OVERRIDE ENABLED.] The monotone voice caught Danny by surprise. 

Dareths eyes went blank. {Oh uh...okay. Oh no my voice is everywhere. How do I…} Dareths voice spoke through the speakers. {There’s a lot of weirdness, but, a lot of awesome. Danny is there anything I should be looking for?}

Danny lightly plucked Odette from Dareths arms. It took a bit of effort as the young girl was forty pounds now. 

“Access memory files. See if you can help him recover what he lost? Also see if you can see if you can find his creator. We’ll need to know that too.” 

Dareth nodded and did so. He sifted through the main files. 

{looks like this place was last turned on...oh that was...I’m guessing that was when I was working at the studio with Glass and my brother. But it was...turned off again. It doesn’t look like it’s missing anything. It just wasn’t turned on. I mean everything here has manual entry. Kate, how did you find this place?” Kate shrugged and pointed to the scroll.

“It just appeared. Right out of the ground.” 

“Out of the ground?” Danny asked. Kate nodded. Although for some reason she felt that Danny didn’t believe her. It happened a lot. Older people didn’t believe her. She felt someone's arm around her. Echo must have felt her slight panic. 

“I didn’t steal it.” Kate crossed her arms. 

Danny looked bewildered for a moment. 

“How would you steal it?” Danny giggled. Kate turned red and she turned away. 

[Danny…] Echo growled out. Danny shook her head . 

Kate just held up the blueprint. 

{I can’t see it, I guess TEAR can’t either.}

“Tear?” Danny inquired. 

{Yeah it's in here. His names TEAR}

“Here let me…” Kate pulled out a piece of paper and started to write down the text in new ninjagian. “I was rather hoping to take it to the museum. But if that Nadya woman was going through the junk yard looking for blueprints...she might have been looking for TEAR or any of the others.” 

“Others?” Danny asked. “I think we better go give the junkyard another once over...just in case.” 

{hold on, I’ll come.} Dareth unplugged from the main frame, and then realized instantly that Odette wasn’t in his arms. He made the grabby hand motion to Danny. She smiled, kissing Odette's forehead before depositing her back into Dareths hands.


	40. Chapter 40

Absolution

Chapter 40  
The other Left

The Junkyard was as they left it. A small building on one side with a metal wall made up of bits of discarded metals. Although the odd part is how empty it was. Once there was junk everywhere. Cars, car parts, even an airplane without wings were on one side. But all of that was gone now. All the junk had been taken by someone or another. Nadya took all they wanted from the building. Leaving Archie, and Dareth with the huge mess in the backyard. So during one weekend Archie and Dareth sold everything they could and gave the rest away. Nothing left now but dirt, sand, and mud. 

Danny parked the truck in the only parking spot it had that didn’t have mud everywhere. Danny stepped onto the very small concrete slab. looking at her watch. She had two more hours till Aloes' new body was ready. Dareth pulled out a key and unlocked the junkyard gate while Odette stood leaning against Dareths leg. She slowly toddled a few feet before taking her mom's hand. Danny knew what Dareth was doing, looking for any intruders. The whole place had been derelict for some time now. Odettes fingers only fit around Danny's pinky finger so much, not enough to go all the way around. 

“Ma…” Odette pointed to the weathervane over the house. “Turkey.” She said. Danny giggled. It was a chicken, but she got points for trying. 

Dareth seemed to swell with pride anyways. 

“It's a weathervane, ‘tells us if there's a lot of wind. Since there was a storm earlier it looks like there's a little tiny bit of wind.” Danny told Odette. Odette looked up and around the building. Danny felt the small necklace heat up just a little on her chest, almost as if it knew it was home. She knew the necklace had no cognitive personality, but she did believe it shared a soul to Glass just like the earring that rested in one of her ears on a small loop. Archie had thrown it away, and Danny didn't believe they should be separated. Although it seemed to anger Archie a lot. 

“What are we looking for?” Dareth asked. 

“Ah....I donno actually. Might just be a bit of paper, Glass didn’t seem to use electronics unless he had to.” Danny walked into the house. It looked so empty without its clutter of old projects piling up in corners, the bags of sand that she almost ate once while pregnant with Odette. Although it did seem that there was a water leak from the toilet. Its not like Glass actually used it anyways. He had packed the back part and the front part with soil and used it to plant flowers. Now that he was gone his petunia’s had wilted and died. One side of the house seemed to be sinking and one of the windows had broken. It was so odd that Nadya’s shadows hadn’t cleaned the food out. Glass was a little odd to say the least. He probably hid something in a can.

Danny giggled as she started shaking all the food cans. Opening the next cabinet over she noticed an unhealthy amount of coffee cans. When she opened them, the lid had been opened, but the coffee can was still full. 

“He uh...liked the smell.” Danny looked down at Odette who plugged her nose. 

“I agree...it is rather stinky.” She giggled when she climbed up into Dareths arms. Danny put a can back down on the counter. It fell off the edge and spilled out. A small glint of silver caught Danny’s eye. She bent down to pick up a folded manila envelope. She looked up at Dareth. He looked baffled. 

“Open all the cans...quick.” Each piece of paper or envelope was stuffed into Dareths interior as they found them. All the coffee grounds were thrown into the bathtub and the cans placed back into the cabinet as it was found. It was obvious that Nadya would have the place under surveillance. Even if Dareth didn’t hear any of the cameras inside there were probably some out of his scoped rage. Nadya did work for Gaya after all. What would be inside those coffee cans that would warrant Glass to hide them like that, but not the plans to TEAR? 

[Obvious isn’t it? TEARs schematics were a trail. A fake one mind you. Its obvious that this was meant to be found. But those plans were meant to stay hidden. One is far more deadly then the next.] Danny and Dareth could hear Echo over the car phone as they drove back toward Borg industries. Even though Danny found something, she still had Aloe to care for. Health over desire...and perhaps a burger.


	41. Chapter 41

Absolution

Chapter 41  
Voice

The red lanterns that lined the streets told them that Day of the Departed wasn’t too far off. Even though the city was devoid of humans, save for Danny. The droids still did what was commanded of them. At this point in time they would have been ordered to put out lanterns so they did. They never stopped following the orders given to them by their humans that possessed them. 

Odettes eyes scanned the street lights since that was all she could really see. She looked at her dad and pointed at the lanterns. She wasn’t too sure what they were, or why they were there. To her, they looked like big apples slowly going by as her mother drove down the road. Danny yawned behind her hand as they stopped the car in the main parking area. 

“Want me to drive on our way home?” Right now their home was the apartment Danny lived in before. Since there was so much work to be done in the city they had to put the farm on hold. 

“Yes that would be lovely.” Danny walked into Borg tower. 

“Good evening Darzuski family.” The droid receptionist greeted them. “Doing a long night? Cryptors already left.” The woman sat back and looked at her monitor as the phone rang. She answered it in a much lighter tone ‘Borg Industries. This is Gadget, how may I help you.’ Danny and Dareth walked into the elevator. Dareth pointed to the number 42 and Odette pushed it with a huge smile on her face. She turned to look at Danny for her approval, as if to ask ‘did I do good?’ 

“Very good sweetheart.” 

Danny looked into the office and realized the lights had been turned down low. The receptionist did say that Cryptor had gone home, but does that mean...Danny’s walk turned into a small run before she opened the door. She spotted the droid with the tv on his lap and he was munching on...was that copper? Copper wiring? 

“Thats...thats not good for your teeth.” Danny told him. 

“Yeah I know. But it makes me feel better. I’m watching a scary movie.” He pointed to the tv...it was Casper the friendly ghost. A light hearted cartoon about a friendly ghost who helps people when they get into trouble. 

“I see…” Danny looked at Dareth who was just standing there smiling. 

“I’ll put Odette to sleep.” Dareth picked her up. 

“not sleep.” This caught both Danny and Dareth by surprise. Not only was she throwing a fit, she was talking. That was a new development. Although her speech wasn’t perfect. 

“Well she’s almost 3...I kind of expected her speech to improve...sooner or later.” Danny looked into the large bin in the room Within was a large amount of water to cool down the metal after it was forged. Within was the body that Aloe would soon inhabit. Now the only problem was to get him into it, she wasn’t too sure how he was with fear. But she had done this many times before, hundreds of times. But why was this any different? Oh...her…

“Danny.” Spencer said in a singsong voice as she walked into the room. Aloes' head popped up away from his ‘scary movie’ Spencer stopped on a dime. 

“Creator?” Aloe asked, looking slightly curious. If he had a tail it would be wagging. 

“Creator?” Danny looked up to her mother. Spencer chuckled nervously, running her fingers through her hair. 

“Oh...uh, that's nothing really. When I was in my older teens I worked with Glass to create a few...droids. Him and another who's probably long gone.” Spencer walked over and looked over the body. “But you're damaged beyond repair. We’ll need to forge him a new b…” She looked up as Danny pointed into the forge. “Ah…” 

“I scanned his body and it copied his blueprints. I mean if you want to look over it to make sure it is fine. Cause I don’t think it was perfect.” Danny sat down as Spencer pushed the flush button. The water within the tank quickly flowed down six holes within the bottom of the tank. Within was a crude version of Aloe. 

“I see...this may take me a l…” 

“Nah it looks fine.” Aloe shoved the cord in his wrist into the other version's wrist. Danny tried to stop him, same as Spencer. But too late, the other one fell to the floor and the new one began its boot sequence. 

“I am going to...beat him.” Spencer pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“I am...baffled by him, mother why didn’t you tell me about this?” Danny asked her mother, Spencer shook her head shrugging. 

“I just never thought I’d see them again. They’re codes were marked as ‘off’ when I last spoke with Glass. I’m assuming Dareth, and Archie came after them.” 

Aloe’s new body sat up and he looked around. “Hello!” He yelled “llo...hell...o...o…mouth...mmmmmmouth….tthththththt…” Aloe laughed. Obviously he never had a mouth to speak with much less actually use one. 

“Are you functioning properly Aloe?”

“Within safe...sa...safffffffe tea...teeeeeea.” He picked up a tea cup that had been left there during the day. “Can I drink that now?” He picked it up and sipped it. Making a gagging noise. “Ewww…” 

“Aloe that's old, of course it would taste horrible.” Danny plucked the teacup from him and placed it back down on the saucer. “ Now sit back down sir.” She pointed to a seat. Aloe sat down rather heavily and the seat fell backwards. 

“Ow…” Both Danny and Spencer pinched the bridge of their noses. It was going to be a long night.


	42. Chapter 42

Absolution

Chapter 42  
What is it?

Dareth had Odette on his lap as she chewed on an apple wedge. Aloe noticed that this little girl ate a lot of fruits and veggies. But at this point she was eating something that he didn’t expect. 

“But if she can eat sand...can’t I?” He gasped hearing the grinding noise coming from her. “Oh wow! Do I have one of those?” He looked up at Danny. 

“No...Aloe you can’t even eat. You don’t have a stomach. I gave you oil...its there to lubricate your parts since they’re brand new.” Danny said pointing to the cup. 

“Yes but it looks...tasteless.” He poked the cup. 

Aloe once again looked around Danny’s lab where he had been staying for the last few hours. TV in the corner. The screen was messy from how many times Odette watched cartoons with him and pointed to everything expecting him to answer. He didn’t know the characters names, but he knew what the animals were. 

He stood up and began to wonder around the room. He opened a door, medical supplies, He opened another door...wall to wall parts. The room was cold too. He wondered just how many parts were in there. There was a box labeled. ‘Dareth’ on it. He expected those were the parts specifically designed for that droid. According to his...wait...what was that? He seemed to backpedal for a moment. Which involved him falling back in the seat, rolling, and standing up and looking scared for a moment. 

“What is youtube and why is it playing music in my head?” He paused for a second and started to bob his head. “Catchy…” He started to dance a little, and then pulled Danny into a dance. “I remember this song.” he yelled, apparently trying to be heard over the music that no one else could hear. 

“Aloe!.” Danny pulled away from him. “Now you stop that yelling. The neighbors probably can hear you...for 68 floors down...in the serpentine tombs.” Danny looked around at her husband who looked slightly baffled. 

“I guess he didn’t have the internet before.” Dareth said. 

“They were created before the internet was even a thing.” Spencer said putting down a pie. The air smelled of cinnamon and apples. 

“Oh nice mom! That smells so good...smells...wow.” He took a deep breath. Steam came out of his back panels, he gasped. “Why is the steam white? It used to be black.” He obviously wasn’t aware of his changes. Danny picked up a plate and sat it down for Odette. The small plate was steaming. 

“Oh apple pie!” Aloe reached down for it only to hear a 

‘Nu uh.” He looked at Odette who patted the table. 

“What? Why? Its food isn’t it?” Aloe sat down watching Spencer put a small spoonful of ice cream onto the pie. 

“Hot.” Odette waved her hand at the pie. Aloe looked at the pie and then at Odette. 

“Oh it is, isn’t it? It’ll burn our fingers. We should wait huh?” He sat back. Odette nodded and blew on the pie. 

“Oh yes, blowing on it, will help reduce the heat. Good girl, mom and dad have taught you good.” He took a fork and took a piece before blowing on it. 

“Aloe, you can’t eat, you don’t have a stomach.” Danny warned again as Aloe held the fork full to Odette who took a small bite of the pie. 

“Oh I know, but she does, she eats a lot of fruits and veggies. She loves this kind of stuff, I have observed that she eats rather healthy for a child of her age. Most children when I worked at the circus would do nothing but eat sweets and drink soda. I’m glad to see you two are feeding her good.” He held out another fork with a much smaller piece of pie on it. 

“Is it good sweety?” Spencer asked Odette who nodded as she ate. “Having a bit of a treat for doing so good at your doctor's appointment is good. Besides…” The phone rang in practically everyone's pockets. Spencer picked up the phone and listened. 

“How odd that all of them were…” Spencer gasped and dropped the phone, cupping her hand over her ear. 

“Mom!?” Danny walked over to help her. She cried out as she felt Spencer take her arm and twisted it behind her back. 

“Danny!” Dareth pulled her to him, breaking the contact with her. 

“Whats going on with the doc?” Aloe asked. Dareth shook his head pushing him out the door as Spence tried to collect herself, and run after them. 

“No idea, but it looks like everyone was supposed to pick up the phone...this ain’t good.” Dareth helped Danny into the back seat and Odette into her kid seat. Dareth went to go into the front seat. Only to realize Aloe was in the driver's seat and started the car. Driving forward. 

“Aloe wait! You don’t know how to drive?” 

“I have the internet...how hard could it be?” He hit a mailbox and then hit the side of someone else's car. 

“Stay on your side of the road!” Danny yelled pulling on her seatbelt. “There's a baby in the car.” 

“Oh come on other doc. You know perfectly well that she is classified as a toddler.” He steered out onto a country road. 

“Where the hell are we going?” Dareth yelled, pulling Odette to him. She curled up into a little ball. Climbing into Dareths stomach compartment. She would be a lot safer in there right now, he closed it right up. “I’ve informed Zane, and Echo as to where we are.” Dareth told Danny. Hopefully they didn’t answer the phone like Spencer did.


	43. Chapter 43

Absolution

Chapter 43  
Mountain Side

It didn’t take long for Aloe to get the hang of driving. After a little while Danny climbed into the back seat and curled in next to Dareth. Dareth looked down at Odette as she slowly opened his stomach plate, letting it thump onto her dad's lap, and just leaned out and kissed her mom as she fell asleep. Dareth ran his fingers over Odette's back and put his other arm around Danny. 

Aloe looked at the back seat, his eyes scanning the two females. It had him curious, would this body sleep? Luckily for him he had no desire to. Actually being in the driver's seat for a change was interesting, and fun too. No one else ever let him drive, much less wherever he wanted. His fingers ran along the steering wheel. 

“Where are we going?” Dareth asked looking through the sunroof. The sun had set sometime ago now. Aloe looked in the rear view mirror at Dareth. He once again scanned Danny and Odette. Such a strange little girl with odd hair, and skin. Truly bridging the gap between droids, and humans. 

“Going to a friend's place. Blu, oh he’s a great guy. You’ll love him, his place is up against the mountain range up ahead. Another hour I think...hopefully we have enough gas. It's a half a tank, we should fill up halfway there or we won’t make it back.” 

Actually that sounded like good advice. Except…

“Turn signal, Aloe.” Dareth told Aloe. 

“Turn, what?” Aloe asked looking in the rear view mirror. Nevermind...he already turned and parked remarkably well next to the pumps. Dareth kissed Danny's cheek and slowly got out. Aloe had no idea how pumps or money worked. 

The gas station was teeming with people on bikes. Leather bound people parading themselves around like they owned it. There was an old man standing on a table trying to serve burgers to all of them. They honestly looked like they didn’t seem to care that he fell twice now since Dareth began to fill up the gas tank. 

The old man slowly walked toward Dareth, nursing his elbow. Dareth held out a twenty to the man. 

“Y'all going that way there's nothing but a dead end, and an old broken down biodome.” The man pointed down a dirt road. 

“Yeah I know, that's where my brother lives.” Aloe said with almost as much enthusiasm as a kid on Christmas day looking at a mountain of presents. 

“Your...brother?” The guy asked. 

“Droid created by the same creator.” Danny leaned out of the window getting some fresh air. Dareth looked around at her and noticed she might be motion sick. 

“Coffee?” The guy asked with a chuckle. 

“Yes please.” Danny climbed out of the car carrying Odette. She was obviously straining a bit as she did. Dareth plucked the tiny femme from her mothers arms and kissed her head. 

“Ey!” One of the bikers called out. “Ain’t you that droid lover I seen on the tube?” The guy asked looking down at Odette who made a hissing noise at him. 

“Yes, that was probably me.” Danny said as she walked into the store before she threw up. She had always been susceptible to motion sickness. Luckily Odette didn’t seem to have a problem with it. So far…

Danny walked out of the gas station with motion sickness medication. Food that hopefully would last them. Plus some coffee and oil for all of them. 

“Nope we don’t have any sand. Whatchoo needs sand for?” He laughed. 

“My daughter is half human half droid and she needs minerals. One of which is sand, granite, charcoal, and wood. Luckily wood can be something like Cinnamon, or root beer.” She said as she put the bags in the trunk realizing just how damaged the car was. She sighed. 

“What the hell happened to your car?” The owner asked pretty worried. 

“He uh...he’s learning.” 

“I did good though, we aren't’ dead.” Aloe said with the biggest smile on his face. 

Dareth walked back over toward the car. Danny looked at him with a big smile on her face. 

“What are you wearing?” Dareth chuckled. He wore a leather jacket and cap. Odette sat on his shoulders 

“Do you like it?” He asked turning one way and then another. Danny leaned up and kissed him. 

“Told ya she’d like it!” The bikers burst out laughing. “Ladies can’t say no to the leather.” 

“I think...I’m in a biker gang now…” Dareth admitted. Danny snorted and got back into the car.


	44. Chapter 44

Absolution

Chapter 44  
This is Fun

Odette looked out the window at all the trees that went by. The trees turned into buildings and they looked like burnt out husks of what they were. The town looked as if the forest had overtaken everything that once was. 

“Oh wow...spooky.” Aloe pointed toward a ferris wheel and looked down at Danny who seemed to scoot back. “Don’t like spooky, doc?” Aloe asked looking back up at them. 

“I’m afraid of ghosts. Day of the Departed isn’t my favorite holiday.” Danny told him and cleared her throat. Trying her best to ignore the fact that the car had begun to lurch through the mud. 

Bang!

Odette jumped and landed in her dads lap looking around frantically. The car skidded a little before stopping. 

“I think somethings wrong with it. It ain’t going straight.” Aloe turned off the car and looked outside at the broken mirror in the middle of the road. 

“Probably some kids tearing apart the funhouse. Broken one of the mirrors in the dirt road.” Dareth said, getting out, and putting Odette on the seat. “Stay here.” He told her. Odette nodded curling up and tried to stay as small as she could. It seemed to be her defense mechanism. 

Danny handed the keys to Dareth who used them to pop the trunk. He pulled out the spare, and a tire iron. 

“Where's the lift jack?” Danny asked, looking around trying to see if it just fell between the panels. 

“Don’t worry, I can lift it.” Dareth walked over to the side of the car and lifted it. 

“You sure you can lift it until I’m done?” She leaned her head to one side and blushed. Dareth laughed knowing that look. 

“Oggle me later. We need to get out of here. This place isn’t safe.” Dareth looked inside at the way Odette looked. Aloe was sitting next to her with one of her toys making it dance and spin singing a song to her softly. He was very good with children, at least she was distracted.

Music, lights, an announcer's voice. Odette jumped at the suddenness of it and jumped down and ran in the nearest building. 

“Uh sorry to ruin your moment here doc, but your daughter just got spooked and ran into that funhouse.” Aloe pointed toward the building. Its purple and yellow lighting wound around the building, windows, and doors. 

A harsh scream from within caused Dareth to drop the car and run. 

“Odette!” He yelled out, Danny lost sight of him almost immediately as they went into the building. 

“Dad!” Odette called out. Danny ran down the way she heard the voice. The windows along the walls reminded her very much of the funhouse she and Inky had been trapped in, but this one was less kept and some of the mirrors were broken or missing. 

“Odette!” Danny called out. 

“Mommy!” she called. She heard some shuffling. Much to her amazement in front of her stood a young girl about her height with long blue hair...technically she was all blue, and saw through and...Danny gasped when the girl went through a wall and disappeared. The scream that escaped Danny was something she herself wasn’t ready for.


	45. Chapter 45

Absolution

Chapter 45  
Fear

“Whoa there doc.” Aloe caught Danny as she back paddled into him. She looked up into his lavender eyes and gulped. She was not ready to see that, much less run into him. She expected Dareth, but he was nowhere to be seen. “You okay? Didn’t hurt you did she?” He saw her too, that means Danny wasn’t crazy. She hoped. 

“N...No sorry, I didn’t mean to run into you like that.” Aloe chuckled patting Danny on the back. 

“Well of course not, when you're scared out of your mind you ain’t thinking right.” They heard another scream. Danny stood back up and continued on. Ghost or no ghost, she had to get to her daughter. 

“Oh great...I hated these things, it's like they’re designed to spite me.” Danny stood in front of a giant wheel that was spinning. She’d have to walk through it to get to the other side. She gritted her teeth and she jumped. Trying her best to run through the tunnel. 

“Why do humans do this stuff?” Aloe asked, rolling along the bottom of the tunnel. 

“It's mostly for fun.” 

“Oh yes, you look like you are having loads of fun, Falling all over the place, just looks like a barrel of monkeys.” Aloe said sarcastically. Danny was miserable and the carpet on the bottom of the tunnel looked as if it had mud, and mold all in it. Which meant it was all over her now. Did Dareth even go this way?

Falling out of the tunnel Danny rolled to a stop in front of a statue. All of which seemed...human. Danny looked around the room and realized the whole room was full of statues, upon statues of other humans in various positions. Some of which looked so much older then the other. 

“Danny?” Aloe seemed to be deep in thought for a moment. “Some of these statues...have beating hearts.” 

“Only some?” 

“Go back…” both Danny and Aloe turned around to see the woman from before. “Go back!” She wrapped an arm around a statue that looked just like her. “Go...back!” She screamed, the lights flickered, some popped and glass rained down on them. Aloe put his hands over Danny’s head. They both ran toward the other side of the room. The room was dark beyond the door...they fell. 

(0)

Dareth had Odette in his hands. She was so scared, she was shivering in his hands. He could feel her intakes were hot, and she kept pushing his hand away from her. She just wanted to be held, but it was too hot...wasn’t it?

“Are you sure this is where the exit is?” Dareth asked. The woman with blue hair nodded and pointed in front of her. He knew there was probably something about her that caused him to dread a bit. Right…?

He slowed down a little when he heard both Danny, and Aloe’s yelling. 

“Danny!” He called out. The woman stopped and looked at him. 

“Lost…” She said to him. 

“Yeah, I figured she would be. She’s not the best at directions. She got lost on her way to the cafeteria in her own building.” Dareth walked down another hallway. 

“Not that way!” Dareth felt Odette shiver and curl into her dad's arms. 

“She will not make it.” the ghost pointed to Odette. Dareth looked up at her for a moment. 

“She’s fine. She’s just scared.” 

“No...it's almost morning. Once the sunlight hits the funhouse you all will turn to stone.”


	46. Chapter 46

Absolution

Chapter 46  
Are we having fun yet?

It was soft...Danny looked around and gasped with fear for moment before she realized she was looking at Aloe’s eyes. He chuckled as he dimmed the setting a little so not to blind her. 

“I think we landed on pillows.” Aloe squeezed the ground. “Nice and s…” He cleared his throat. “Stuffed animals…” He chuckled looking back up at the opening. It looked to be about 15 feet up. 

“Stuffed animals?” Danny inquired and then picked one up. “They look like old ones from the games.” She said throwing one. A soft laugh echoed within the room. 

“What's not spooky. Just a kid laughing. Doc your heart rate is going fast. Are you alright?” 

“The ceiling…It's getting lower.” She took his hand and started to run through the stuffed animals, but all they were doing was sinking further into the stuffed animals. 

11 ft

Danny started to hit the walls. Aloe pushed in on the walls. 

“Its not working Doc and we’re in a huge well. I don’t see a hole, door, crack...unless we go up and even that doors on the other side of that ceiling!

8 ft

Danny tried to throw a stuffed animal into the grind. It didn’t work. It just got shoved up into the crack. 

6 ft

“Help!” Danny cried out. Aloe didn’t see any other way out. He picked up Danny his coding taking effect to protect human life. 

4 ft

“Help us!” Danny called out again. She knew that Aloes armor integrated wouldn’t hold out. 

BANG!

The wall shook behind them. Danny turned as she saw the split in the wall. 

BANG!

Aloe had to stoop over Danny now. A hand came through the wall. Grabbed Aloe and pulled them both through the wall like tissue paper. 

Danny panted as she looked up into the golden eyes. How odd...she recognized those eyes from so long ago. 

“Dad?” The man pulled up the goggles he had on to find heat signatures. 

“Heya Danny...I haven’t seen you in...well probably 18 years now.” Kade chuckled helping her up. 

(0)

Dareth looked on at the man that embraced Danny. He had run into Kade as they were running toward the same screaming. He had no idea that he was in fact Danny’s biological father. The one who ran away, he didn’t like him. Not even a little bit. This trip would be interesting...very much indeed. Firing off a text message to Zane, the text he got back was slightly surprising. 

‘Mr. Pierce left through a mutual agreement between himself and Spencer. Kade had his own ideas about the future, and she had hers. They found it mutually beneficial if they continued on separately. But that's when all the complications began, Kade...disappeared.


	47. Chapter 47

Eclipse

Chapter 47  
Kade

“You mean you’ve been here this whole time?!” Danny watched her dad walk toward a well and pull the bucket out and place a cloth into it. He turned around looking over Danny. 

“You hurt?” He took the cloth and placed it on her cheek. She hissed as the cloth hit the wound she got from the wheel. It was just a carpet burn. But it was probably messy. Covered in dirt and moss, probably caked blood too. 

“Danny?” Danny looked up and smiled. 

“Dareth, Odette, you’re both alright. Wait...why is there a working well inside of a funhouse?” Danny asked. 

“You're outside, it's just...pitch black now that the lights are turned off. They turn off at exactly 10pm. I’ve been studying this place for some time. Especially after the accident.” Danny narrowed her eyes trying her best to see through the dark. She couldn’t see anything without the moon, but oh she could see the stars. 

“Accident?” Danny asked now that she was able to look at her dad; she noticed his right hand had four fingers rather than five. The placing was weird too. Almost like…

“You're a cyborg, how did that happen?” She asked, Kade cleared his throat and looked down at his leg. 

“Motorcycle accident. It was an experimental project. I landed hard on my right side, took the skin and bone off my leg, My arm, and the side of my head.” 

“Head? Weren’t you wearing a helmet?” Danny asked bluntly. 

“Hey! Isn’t this that old Zodiac model your mom worked on?” 

“Dad!?” Danny knew her parents were older than they let on. Her mother drank that damned tea on occasions. But…

Odette coughed and curled into her dad more. 

“Odette?” Dareth ran his fingers over her back and gasped. “She’s burning up. We need to get her out of the funhouse.” 

“Out? Oh no no, no one leaves. There's a phantom here that insures that you don’t ever leave.” 

“But we have till sun up to get out. Or you’ll turn to stone.” Dareth held up Odettes hand to show Danny that she had stone hands. 

“She’s...but what about you?”

“I’m used to having heavy feet.” Dareth lifted his pant leg to show it was also stone. 

“Why am I not?” Danny asked. Aloe looked at his own fingers. 

“Yes, why not me?”

“Because you're my kin. I bought the place. To this place, we’re already as stone as stone can be.” 

“That makes no sense. Odettes my daughter.” 

“Wait...daughter? I’m a grandfather?!” Kades face lit up and the smile that spread across his face looked like it would split in two. “Mine?” His bottom lip twitched and he almost liked like he was going to cry. 

“His emotions are...odd for a human.” Aloe looked at the man as he walked over and placed his hand on the back of Odette's head. 

“But wait...did your mom get remarried, and have more kids? Where's that guy?” He watched Danny’s face turn to a scowl. 

“He’s…” She shook her head. 

“He’s not a good man. Ran experiments on Danny, and their youngest Echo. By my scans he placed more tech in Echo then you have in your body sir.” Dareth told him. Kade growled and looked at Danny 

“What did he do to my baby girl huh Danny?” He walked over and rubbed his prickly cheek against hers. This was a side of Kade she had forgotten. 

“I have an implant in my head and...he said you made it.” Kade gulped and he shook his head. 

“Now Danny, be...be understanding here. I didn’t...mean for it to be in your head...It was supposed to go in the palm of your hand. That way you can push the button….and talk. Send orders to droids that were in rescue area’s...where you couldn’t go. Deep under water, the core of the planet, fire zones...Danny...what...happened?” He reached up running his fingers over her head. 

“I’m connected to...my best friend.” The look on her face wasn’t anger. It was almost warm. “But Julien plans on turning the device against humanity. He wants to turn everyone into puppets.” 

“Come on...I want a go at this guy.” Kade shoved the bridge down. It fell sideways revealing the road. 

“I’mma get them to Blu’s greenhouse first. They got plans sir.” Aloe walked out to the car. 

“So...the road was hidden...through a drawbridge?” Danny asked looking up at Kade. 

“Well duh. This place is good at that.” 

“Kill many people?” Dareth asked. 

“Nope...just the people that come in here acting like idiots.” Kade gave them an evil like smile.


	48. Chapter 48

Eclipse

Chapter 48  
Car…

Kade climbed into the car and sat down. He looked up as Dareth placed Odette in the car seat. She looked better now that she was out of the funhouse. His eyes went up to Dareth again. The salty blue eyes looked at him. 

“So you’re uh...you’re Danny’s husband? Where did you two meet?” Danny looked over the seat at them. Stuffing a motion sickness pill into her mouth as she watched them. 

“Junk yard...seven years ago.” 

“Junk yard? What kind of work do you do Danny?” Kade asked his daughter who fished a nametag from her pocket. 

“Oh she’s a droid doctor. She just got finished building me a brand new body last night. Nice and shiny isn’t it?” Aloe asked, getting in the passenger's seat. 

“It looks a lot more fancy than your original Aloe. But...Blu’s been deactivated for some time. If ever he was active in the first place. Dan was talking about him a lot, I wasn’t around for the activation. I kinda...split up with your mom. Is she...okay?” Kade apparently still loved Spencer. 

“Why did you break up with mom anyways?” 

“Ah we weren’t married to begin with. We just...decided to split up. I didn’t mean to disappear Danny. Really...I just, didn’t think either of you wanted anything to do with me anymore. So I...left. Spent some time in the desert. Damned near died out there. You know they have sand sharks out in the desert?! At least it tried to bite my bad leg...bet it got some high iron content that day.” He chuckled at his own joke. 

“Really dad? Sandsharks?” Danny looked over her shoulder. 

“Yes!” he said it with a huge smile on his face. He looked down to see a pair of mint green eyes looking up at him. She looked at her mother and then back at Kade. 

“Eyes…” She held her hand up. 

“Yes we share the same eye color...so do you.” Odette put her hands in front of her face and giggled. 

“No. Mine.” Kade laughed loudly. 

“I don’t mean sharing like that.” He looked at Danny who couldn’t help but smile back. 

“There it is Doc...it's bright. He must be awake now.” He was right the grow lights were on. 

Danny parked her car and climbed out of the car. Yawning into her hand looking around. For some reason she had some sense of familiarity with the place. 

“I think I saw the plans to this place when Nadya kidnapped me and Kate.” 

“Kidnapped?” Kade asked, looking down at his daugher. She just shrugged. “Is this a...common occurrence with you? Should I put you in a paper bag just to make sure you don’t get hurt?” He asked. Danny couldn’t tell if he was joking. 

“Dareth, stay here with Odette. She’s probably hungry, and ready to eat.” Dareth nodded, pulling the backpack off. He pulled out a small bowl of cheerios with a lid on it, and sat down in the seat again. 

“I’ll...stay here too.” Kade sat down and smiled. Odette giggled offering him a cheerio.

“Loves the look of that kid...don’t he?” Aloe laughed


	49. Chapter 49

Eclipse

Chapter 49  
Blu

Aloe steered Danny through the compound like there was a fire behind them. He had to stop a few times because Danny was transfixed on some things. She was a curious woman for sure. 

Finally at the end of their walk they came upon a blue droid with hoses sticking out of his back. There was a leather bag on his hip. Every so often he would reach in, grab something, and gently place it on the ground. Covering it with a fist full of soil, and patting it. A few very small droids we're going along the lines and splaying water onto the newly planted seeds. 

Danny knew instantly that this droid was who she was looking for. 

“Excuse me.” Danny walked past Aloe who tried to stop her. 

“He ain’t the sociable droid doc!” He tried to explain. Danny however was frozen to the spot as Blu loomed over her. His face plate was a screen that showed motions perfectly...and it looked like he wore glasses too. She liked the way it looked. 

“What?” His voice was deeper than she thought. 

“Hi…” Okay she needed to say more than just hi...right? She cleared her throat and…

“Lookit Blu! I got a new body and everything! She made it for me.” Aloe danced around him. Blu growled trying to get him to stop. 

“You’re steppin all over the seeds Aloe. Stoppit!” He put his hand on top of Aloes helm and pushed him down. He sat there with the biggest smile on his face. “Geez how are you so hyper.” He turned back to Danny. His expression turned into a scowl. 

“I’m Dr. Danny Darzuski. I uh...well I need your help.” Blu rolled his visual sensors and turned back around using a stick to make a hole and placed seeds into it. 

“You...need more than just help, lady. You need a therapist if you think I’m going to help you. Humans are nothing but trouble.” 

“I’ll pay you.” Danny offered. Blu laughed, but it sounded fake. 

“Money? I do not need money, lady. I want to be left...alone.” Wow these droids don’t listen to humans. Danny smiled at this fact, it allowed her to realize just how much influence her mother had on their programming. 

“My mother created you for this purpose Blu. We need you to help us...plant trees.” Blu looked at her as if she were covered in trash. She looked down at herself. Okay she was covered in trash...dirt, moss...was that an old cotton candy wrapping? Okay she wasn’t at all presentable. 

“You look like I need to throw you in a lake...theirs one out back. Why don’t you go jump in it...and then leave.” Blu said as he poured something green onto the small patch of dirt. 

“Okay...I don’t deserve such behavior.” Danny put her hands on her hips. 

“Yes you do. Humans are all the same. Trash creators, ocean ruiners, air polluters and to top it all off… you don’t care. You’ll keep doing it. Over and over again till there's nothing left. I’ve looked at the charts lady….there's only 12% human population left after I was created and that was 56%. Go home!” 

“Excuse me...I own a farm. I plant things too. No plastics, no pesticides, no chemicals!. I don’t create droids. I repair them...well except one, but she’s biological! But these trees...they need someone with a skilled hand.”

“Biological!” Blu turned and leaned down so he was at least eye level. “Thats impossible.” 

“Would you like to meet her?” Danny asked. Blu narrowed his eyes. 

“No.” He turned around and pushed the stick back into the soil and placed more seeds. 

“What can I do to convince him…land! I’ll give you land you can do whatever you want with it! An entire island to create whatever you please. I’ll give you more droids to help. Mind you those droids will be solar powered and not like...him.” She poked Aloe who shoved her hand away. 

“Hey! There ain’t nothing wrong with this body. I look good.” He wiggled his eye ridges at her. Danny just giggled. 

“Ma…” Danny looked down at Odette who ran up to her. 

“Daww...hello sweety.” She ran her fingers over Odettes head. She still felt a little warm to her. “Dareth?” 

“Yes, it would seem she’s still got a low grade fever.” Dareth walked over. “Hey uh...do you have a bathroom she can use?” Dareth asked. Blu sighed and motioned to the back area where there was a small wooden outhouse. Dareth actually hoped it was functional and not a real outhouse. He opened the door and peeked in. “Oh thank the FSM.” He said and helped Odette.

“Shes a…” Blu looked at Aloe. Aloe nodded. 

“A hybrid. Half human, and droid.” Danny said. Blu nodded and went back to his work. That wasn’t at all...what he meant. 

“Need more seeds…” He walked over to a pile and started putting more into the leather back on his hip. Danny slowly looked around at Blu. She had heard that before. 

“What did you say?” Danny asked him. Blu looked at her as he walked back over. He was horribly imbalanced, she noticed. Like he was missing something. She smiled to herself, ‘he could use a tail...like a kangaroo.’

“Seeds...I needed more.” 

“I heard that before...a few years ago. In my head. Your voice, and that word. Seeds...it's what gave me the idea to use the seeds we found to make those trees. It’ll get rid of the pollution. It’ll fix the planet Blu.” Danny tried again. 

“Hearing voices in your…” He ran his fingers over his face and he sighed. “Fine! I’ll help...if you leave me the hell alone. The sooner we get done the sooner you can…” He stomped toward the door putting the leather bag down next to the pile. 

“So...one question…? What are you going to do with them?” He motioned to the very small tv in the corner. Aloe turned up the black and white tv. 

“People have begun to rampage through the city.” 

“They won’t survive if they go into the city.” Dareth said looking at Danny. Danny looked up at Kade who was leaning in the doorway. 

“Its the implants...Julien has discovered a way to get the brain to work like one without surgery.” Kade said. Danny thought about it. 

“The phone calls...that means…” She looked up at Dareth. “The phone call…” 

“Well if the sound is what caused it...perhaps another will cause it to stop?” Dareth asked. 

“We need to get to the relay towers.” Danny held out a bag of seeds. “And Blu...can you plant these so we can transfer them once I get you that island?” 

Blu just shrugged. “I can. But that's a tall order. You’d have to be rich to…” He looked at Danny. 

“I don’t use the money I get for anything other than the people. I’m poor otherwise. I just...run a farm.” 

“Wait...what?” Kade asked. 

“I own the biggest enterprise within Ninjago. I’m also the richest woman in the world.”


	50. Chapter 50

Eclipse 

Chapter 50  
Horror Show

One thing was for certain. Danny would have to get a new car. The damage to this one was a bit...bad. Especially now that they drove through the streets of Ninjago city. There were people everywhere. Most of the droids around them were actually helping them. It was in most droids primary coding to protect human life. The droids stopped the people and placed masks on their face. No matter what, the people had no choice but to listen. 

Danny knew that if Dane ordered her to she would have to do it too. She sighed as she looked back seeing a few dead bodies on the sides of the road. What were they going to do? The car itself was sealed tightly. Danny rigged it that way. It saved on oxygen. Pulling her small mask from the glove box and placed it over Odette's mouth and nose. 

“Doc…?” Aloe looked nervous. The usual boisterous droid had hold of the seat as if he were afraid of the outside. She turned and patted his hand and looked at him squarely. 

“It's okay Aloe. But if something happens to me. If I turn into one of these...zombie people. Take care of Odette for me...alright?” She asked, he looked down at Odette and nodded. 

“Yeah, sure doc, nothing to it. She’s, a...she’s a little lady. I can’t say no to that.” He held out his finger and let her take hold of it. “We’ll take care of each other yeah?” He asked. Odette wasn’t too sure what he meant by that, but he looked kind of scared. She had to reassure him like her mom did for other droids when they were scared. So she reached over and patted his hand. 

“Is, tay.” Aloe wasn’t sure what that meant, but it was super cute. He readjusted her mask and sighed. He could see Dareth in the rear view mirror and nodded. 

“Its alright big bot. I got her, I got loads of experience with kids. Worked in a circus you know.” Dareth sat there for a moment with his eyes narrowed. 

“Here Dareth.” Danny pointed to the radio station. It looked dark, the building was probably closed. “Guess we’re about to add ‘breaking and entering’ onto our resume’” Danny said as she pulled on her mask and climbed out of the car. She jumped hearing a glass break. She turned to see Dareth standing there with his arm in the window unlocking the door. At least it wasn’t too bad...right?

“How will we know the frequency?” Danny asked her dad who yawned and shrugged. 

“Well just have to try a lot of stuff...instruments, words...things that you or your mother wouldn’t ever say in a million billion years.” 

“Like country music.” Danny said. 

“Hey some country music isn’t too bad.” Aloe protested, and walked into the radio station. 

“But does anyone know how to operate one of these?” Danny asked, looking at the equipment. “I’m afraid my knowledge of such things is...minimum.” She said looking up at Dareth as he reached over and pushed the power button and winked at Danny. 

Danny watched as Dareth picked up a guitar and started to lightly strum it. This was a side of Dareth she had never seen. It was calming and almost...she cleared her throat. Aloe placed Odette on her father's lap. She stuffed her finger into her mouth and watched her dad playing the guitar. She had seen someone playing one once within Midnight's bar, but never so close. She liked it, and she even started to lightly hum to the music. 

“Ah hey...look…” Kade chuckled, kneeling down in front of Odette. 

“Must take after her pop. I don’t take Danny for a singer.” Aloe motioned to Danny who just shrugged. 

“I can’t sing.” Danny told them. Dareth looked up seeing the look on her face. She was tired, very tired. Sleep was something they didn’t have much of in the last few days. Picking up the manual she started to flip switches and then looked at Kade. 

“Ready?” She asked. Kade shrugged and leaned over the mic, and started to sing.


	51. Chapter 51

Eclipse

Chapter 51  
Heart

The door to the radio station opened and closed. Dareth looked over his shoulder at his brother in law. Zane walked over looking at Kade as he sang. It wasn’t unusual to see the man sing at all. Zane was told that he would sit there and make up songs on the spot while doing things around the house and Danny would join in wherever she knew she could. These two used to be closer than anything. That was why it hurt so bad when he left. Danny felt abandoned and thrown away by him. She wondered why often, why did he leave. It must have been her fault, even though she knew now that it wasn’t anyone's fault. But she wished he had stayed. She sat in the chair rocking Odette to sleep. It was night time now, although she voiced the fact that she wished they had some cleaner clothing. 

Dareth sighed looking around at Kade as he kept singing. Dareth lightly bumped Zane. Kade balked at first but just chuckled as Dane stood there listening. He walked over to Danny as she looked slightly sick. He could feel something wrong with her, but something seemed to...click. 

“Danny? You okay?” He asked, plucking up Odette in his arms before Danny just stood up and looked at Dane. Her eyes were devoid of all color, just like the other zombies outside. 

“I am fine, master.” That was something new to him. She had never said something like that to him, and it sounded monotoned. This wasn’t right, Dane didn’t like this one bit. 

“You must be her partner.” Kade asked. His hand ran up Danny’s head. He felt along for the implant. He pulled back, rather painfully. 

“I am. She was connected to me after I accessed the bluetooth signal. I had tried to deactivate it...but well that happened. 

Kade understood the desire to help her, he would have done the same thing. Moreover...the music didn’t work. The door opened and closed again as someone else rushed in. 

“I don’t know what you're planning on doing. But you need to do it fast. They’re converging on this building!” Echo called from the door. Called? Wait...how? 

“You have your voice back.” 

“Its just an output audio player. It hurts like hell, but its a need.” Inky called out and waved at Danny. He looked almost hurt, she didn’t wave back. “She’s stuck too isn’t she?” He asked. Kade nodded. 

“I’m afraid so...I hope this place has a back door.” Kade said as they ran to the back, and pushed open the door only to see that they were perfectly surrounded. 

“Shit…” Echo growled. 

(0)

Archie ran the cloth over the counter for the millionth time. He felt bad at the moment. Midnight seemed to be in one of her downward spirals and he couldn’t help her. He understood that she was lonely, but why him?

Archie jumped out of his skin when he realized Midnight was standing in front of him. Her hand was over his, and her eyes looked so concerned. What happened? What was wrong, what caused her to...oh...the cloth wasn’t even in his hand anymore, his bare metal hand was scrapping the marble. 

“You seem deep in thought.” 

“Ah yeah, I’ve been thinking about...us.” He couldn’t lie, damn it. She looked baffled for a moment. Her brow caused the synthetic skin on her brow to push together in an obvious scowl. 

“There is no us Archie, you’ve made it clear.”

“Yes, there is no us...not that way Midnight, but damn it...it doesn’t stop me from caring.” That was news to Midnight. “I mean do we have to be a couple? It's not like we’re not together. There doesn’t have to be a thing. Love is weird, and scary, and impossible...I don’t like to think about it.” Midnight giggled at this, okay so that's what was wrong. He just didn’t like the verbality of it. But that never changed how he felt. 

“Perhaps you are right, but that doesn’t stop me from loving you Archie Darzuski. We do not have to be married like Danny and Dareth, but we can still exist for one another.” She ran her finger over his that was still on the marble. “Is that...okay?” She asked him. Archie chuckled. 

“Existing for...someone else sounds a little...loaded still, but it’ll work.” 

The radio crackled from behind Archies shoulder. They had been listening to soft jazz as they cleaned before they opened. 

“Archie! Midnight! If you are hearing this, we need your help. We need Midnight’s song!” 

“Midnights...song?” Archie asked. Midnight looked baffled. She hadn’t heard that in about 20 years. 

“My song?” Her eyes went from teal to amber. “Father?”

“Father? But I thought your dad died.” 

“He did...he died slowly. They took him away, and told me he died. Didn’t he…?”


	52. Chapter 52

Day Break

Chapter 52  
Power

Midnight often wondered what the song was for, it was just a small file her father gave her, that she would hum along to after a hard day, she had been listening to it a lot more lately after she figured she and Archie had no chance. She was so scared of what she would be like if she didn’t have it. It was such a small thing, but it meant so much to her. 

She felt the building shake, what was going on? She heard the door open and close. 

“I’m sorry but we aren’t o…” She looked on as Pixal pulled off her hood. 

“Come...before they catch wind of what we’re doing. They’re already up the side of the radio building. Danny’s caught up in it too according to Zane.” Pixal said as she walked back toward the door and opened it looking back and forth. 

“Its clear.” She pushed Midnight into the arms of the red ninja. He was hot to the touch, at least she wasn’t human. The red ninja’s eyes were bright red and orange like the fires within the furnace. He couldn’t wear a shirt because of how hot he burned. 

“Good evening Ms. Midnight, pleasure to see you again.” Kai always came by for a bagel on Weekends. She made her way up the side of the ship followed closely by Archie. She was his boss after all and he still had his protocols. At least the winds were calm. 

“Welcome aboard the Bounty.” There was a woman sitting next to Nya. The woman seemed very tired, but unable to move. “Echo told Kate to stay there. She has no choice but to listen. Its spooky, but at least she’s safe here.” Lloyd said. His track eyes were a lime green and ran from left to right. As if scanning everything, actually now that Archie thought of it, it probably was. The fiber optic wiring of hair on his head waved in the wind. It was far more newer than the other ninja. Especially Cole who looked like a steamer, His entire bottom jaw looked more like a front loaders scoop. He had never seen them up close before except on tv. 

“We’ll get to the radio station in five. We’ll lower you both onto the roof. We’ll try to get the people rounded up without hurting them.” Lloyd told them. Even though they were the Ninja they were also held down by the laws. 

“Wait...Pixal you're a ninja? I thought you were just Cryptor and Min’s sister who was away at college, clear on the other side of Ninjago.” Pixal blushed and shrugged. 

“Nope...I’m the elemental master of mist. It doesn’t do much, but in the clouds, and hiding on the grounds it helps when a ninja has nothing else to hide behind.” Well that was true. 

“Does Zane know?” Archie asked, covering up Kate with his jacket. She was a human after all and she looked cold. 

“Of course he knows, it was his idea.” She shrugged her shoulders as she kicked the latter. It drifted down and hit the roof below. The neon lights for ‘99.2 FM’ kept blinking. Midnight gasped and looked at Archie. 

“I can’t…” She whispered and gasped as she was picked up by Archie and she clung to him and closed her eyes. She was afraid of heights, going up was fine. You can’t see how high up you were. But going back down you could see everything. 

“Almost there, beautiful.” Archie reassured her, she felt them land on the graveled rooftop. 

Midnight felt Archie set her back down and pat her head. 

“All over.” He told her as he walked over and broke the lock off the door. 

“Archie…” Midnight looked at the people down below. “They’re human, all of them, and they’re...zombies. What started this?” Midnight gasped in surprise as Archie took her hand. The contact was unusual to her. She didn’t know why, there was something amiss here, and she didn’t like it. 

Walking into the radio studio, Dane spotted them at first and motioned to the mic room. Midnight looked within and spotted Kade. Kade stood up and smiled at her. 

Kade felt the knock first before picking himself from up off the floor realizing Midnight had hit him. 

“Midnight!” 

“No no...I deserved that. I deserved it, never told her I wasn’t dead, nor did I ask someone else to. I just figured...well I ensured she had someone big and strong who was going to take care of her...and...I left.” Kade said. 

“Wait...so you're Danny’s dad, and you're also...Midnight's dad...well...I guess it's good her and Archie didn’t hit it off...they’re relatives.” Dane said, bouncing Odette as she tried to push buttons. 

“They’re droids…” Kade said. Everyone in the room turned to look at him. 

“I’m literally holding your hybrid grandchild and you're saying...only droids.” Dane arched his brow at him.


	53. Chapter 53

Day Break

Chapter 53  
Did you?

Well this was news to Kade. He looked on at Odette who was curled inward next to her well...he wasn’t too sure what Dane was. Another hybride? Maybe that was how Odette was created. Well then again she looked nothing like him save for the eye color. Kade rubbed his forehead, he wasn’t thinking straight. Actually he couldn’t think at all. 

“So you're telling me that...droids can...well they can think for themselves?” He asked, looking at Midnight as she pulled off her cloak and rested it on the back of a chair. 

“Of course we can think for ourselves.” She told him. “We are not some hardware that you own. You might have created us, but we are by far not your possessions.” She told him patting the hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up at Archie. 

“Besides, even if you did hold the deed to her Kade Peirce. You gave her up, after you ‘died’ you lost any and all possessions you had previously. Midnight belongs to no one.” Archie couldn’t help but feel a little possessive of the young droid. What if Kade tried to take her away with him, when he left. It wasn’t his place to keep her with him. Yet he still felt rubbed raw. 

“Oh I did that on purpose, I knew the next owner would care for her, she was the face of the building. Who does own it now?” He pointed to Danny. “It would fall to her since she's my legal offspring.” You could hear Midnight grit her teeth. At least until she heard what was next. 

“You know perfectly well Danny won’t take the cafe from you. We all know she’s not that kind of woman.” Dane had his cheek on Odette's forehead. He loved to hear her sleeping. Just the soft ins and outs of breathing. It was as close as he will ever get to having his own. 

“She wouldn’t?” Kade asked. Dane smiled and closed his eyes as he separated. Danny back paddled into the desk behind her. 

“Ow...what the hell?” She felt Zane helping her to stand back up. She would definitely have a headache for a little while. Her head was pounding, and she felt like she should at least put her head on right. She placed her hands on the back of her head and gasped from pain. 

“As much as I’d hate to say it, we had better avoid touching one another again for a little while. Changing into Dane at the moment, might prove harmful to Danny.” Dareth said as he held her hand away from her head. 

“You ready Midnight?” Kade asked. Midnight was a little iffy about performing the song now. Her father being in the room was pissing her off, and Danny too. 

“Danny?” Midnight asked. Her anger was rather apparent. Danny looked up from the water that was handed to her. 

“Hum?” Danny questioned. She saw the anger on Midnights face. It was by far the most unusual emotion she had seen on the woman. But the words that came out of Danny’s mouth calmed her greatly. 

“It's good to see that you're not sad anymore. You had me worried.” Midnight opened her mouth to speak to Danny again, but Midnight heard Archie next. 

“Yeah we worked out our differences. We’re not dating, but I think we understand one another more. Love...doesn’t have to mean we’re in love. Just really good friends that hold each other in higher regards.” Midnights heart melted all over again. 

“Yes, best friends.” 

“That's good.” Danny yawned, but jumped awake when she heard something hit the building. 

“If you're going to do this, you’d better hurry. They’ve started throwing piles of wood against the building. They’re gonna burn us out.” Zane called out watching as the piles were lit. 

“Alright go for it.” Midnight's song began to play from a small speaker in her hands, as she began to sing along with it. The pounding at the doors seemed to stop. 

They heard it over the radio. 

“Stopping the frequency is one thing...but finding the outlet will be much harder. I’ll give you a hint...Borg Tower.” Gaya’s voice called out throughout the whole city. “But to make things interesting…” the feed got louder

“To the roof!” Zane ordered everyone.


	54. Chapter 54

Day Break

Chapter 54  
Never

Lloyd helped Dareth up and was surprised when Dareth pulled Odette from his stomach compartment. The little girl had curled into a little ball in his arms as he closed up his stomach plate with a soft click. 

Dareth knew Danny was wondering how and when Gaya and her team had gone into Borg tower. She herself resided within that building most of the time. 

“Danny, what's the plan? You're the only one with the access codes to that place.” Kai asked setting a cup of oil down for Echo who walked over and sat down next to Kate who looked at him. She didn’t say a word, but she leaned into his touch anyways. 

“We’ll do what must be done.” Danny said. 

(0)

Gaya smiled as she watched the Bounty fly away from the radio tower. 

“We both know perfectly well that Danny can’t dislodge the speakers from that building.” Julien took a bite of an apple and sat back on the couch. Gaya leaned into her own chair and sighed. 

“Yes I have to agree. She won’t dare come here and try. She’s much too smart for that. Borg tower belongs to us now.” She tipped at the champaign and sighed contentedly. 

“It's just too bad her mother decided to rebel against me. I could very well have spared her.” 

“Such a pity isn’t it?” Gaya turned back around and gasped seeing just how close the Bounty was to the tower. She could see the white in Danny’s eyes. The anger written on her face as she stood there. Her hands in her pockets. Her face was unmoving, and relaxed. “You won’t do it, you won’t destroy the tower.” 

~Door Locks activated.~

Julien stood up and ran toward the elevator. Gaya shoved him out of the way and kept hitting the down button. Julien turned to see the other droids within the ship trying to stop Danny from climbing into the rocket chairs. Danny shoved them out of the way and closed the door off. 

“She won’t destroy the tower!” Gaya repeated turning around just in time to see the rockets hit the window. 

Rocket after rocket hitting each piece every floor. The radios went silent, and the humans fell to the floor unconscious from hours of their minds being manipulated. 

Danny knew what this meant. She was a murderer, and she hated the word of it. It was them or the rest of the human population. She couldn’t let that happen. Only two more people needed to die that day, and she would go to hell knowing it. 

“Danny!?” Dareth watched as the towers fell under the great heat the fires were giving off by now. Danny opened the door on the room she had locked herself in. 

“I know...I’ll turn myself in. But if I’m right no one else was in the building. They were all commanded to kill us at the radio studio.” that was true. Dareth couldn’t see anyone else in the building save for Julien. He sighed patting Odettes back. 

“Well...lets get home. Tomorrows another day, and I’m sure we’ll have to help clean up this mess.” Dareth said 

“Hungee.” Odette babbled and reached out for the cup of oil that Echo had. He chuckled and let her sip it. 

“Don’t spill.” He chuckled, feeling Kates fingers in his. Maybe’s were within their minds. If Danny and Dareth could do it...can we? Kate loved watching Echo take care of Odette. It was a...tender feeling. 

They still had a lot of work to do with the trees.


	55. Chapter 55

Day Break 

Chapter 55  
Yes

2 years later 

Danny watched from the small bungalow on the island. It was an island farther away from land. They were unable to grow the trees into adulthood within their island. So they purchased another island. One much bigger than they had before. They grew the trees, and whatever else they needed there. Once it was grown properly they transferred it to the city where they were planted in many different locations throughout Ninjago. Danny was glad. 

The sky had begun to lose its green hue after two years. 

Danny had found out that Gaya and Julien had put nano technology into the drinking water and people were drinking nanites for at least a month before they used them. Turning people into walking drones. 

It had lowered the human population from 12% to 9%. But luckily with the abundance of work, and the pollution was down. In just 2 years they doubled that number. They were now up to 18% and they were thriving. 

“Mama!” Danny looked up to see Odette running away from Dareth who was laughing just as hard as she was. 

“Are you two behaving.” 

“Lookit!” Odette held up a plant that was just as blue as her eyes. Danny was glad to see her smile. 

She looked along the shoreline. Zane lay back with a child on his own chest. The girls stark blond hair was put up in a tiny ponytail on top of her head. The infant was incredibly tiny and had only been born a month ago. Pixal of course had ninja business to attend to which meant he got to look after his baby with Danny and Dareths help. He didn’t often need help, but sometimes he didn’t know what to do. 

Kate and Echo were nowhere to be seen. Danny hadn’t seen him for some time now, and it would seem they had eloped. 

Spencer spotted Kade after she was freed from the ‘spell’ as she calls it. Spencer went into a fit of laughter and practically bombed him with hugs and kisses having figured he was dead. They were back together, once again not married, but it was close enough for them. 

Inky had a ‘friend’ but he wouldn’t tell anyone who it was. 

But the most surprising of them was Aloe. he was...well if that's what you wanted to call it...howling at the moon. There was a young droid who helped keep the forests cleaned and he would follow her around, help her out, and on occasions he would bring her lunch. That's all it is right now, but Danny would love to see him sit back for a bit. He wasn’t getting any younger. 

“Hows it going Blu?” Danny asked. Blu looked up from the new planters and glared at her. 

“Get out of the garden. Your human feet will step on the saplings.” that was normal for him, he was naturally grumpy. He jumped and looked back at his rump. Danny had finished his new body. Whether he wanted to or not he had to have a new body or the old one would have given out and she would be out a gardener. He looked more like a centaur and better balanced. Thankfully her mother was the one who designed him. 

“Hey Uncle Blu.” Odette had hold of his back leg. He grunted as he wiggled it and glared almost defeated. 

“Would you mind getting your spawn off me?” He took his first finger pushing it against Odette's forehead and tried to push her from his leg. 

“Oh but she looks so cute.” 

“So…” Blu countered. Dareth chuckled as he plucked her from Blu’s leg. 

“Figured you’d be used to her by now.” Dareth said, kissing his daughter's forehead. Odette didn’t nap anymore, but she would curl up and cuddle. She loved the affection. 

“Yeah...I am, I just...don’t like being touched.” He yawned and kept walking. His legs were long enough to tread on either side of the tilled earth. Dropping seed after seed. Luckily it was never winter there. 

A beep and a twitter as a small bot wheeled around him with a watering can. 

“Do a good job Helper!” Danny waved at Blu. 

“I said no bots! None. These are bots, these are some!” 

“Glad you can count! You’re welcome!” Danny called over her shoulder as she walked back toward the hut.

Blu wanted so much to just buck the bot. But it wheeled up to him and held out the watering can for him. Blu snatched it and growled out a low. “Thank you...now go stand somewhere till I need you.” 

Beep Boop…

Blu looked down to see another with a cup of oil. Blu shrugged his shoulders. Picking up the cup and looking within at the contents. Oil? He couldn’t drink anything. He didn’t have a mouth, it was just s screen. But the effort was noted.

“Can’t be...all bad…” He put the cup back down on the tray and waved his hand again dismissively. “Better run on solar power.” He grumbled watching the bot tread away. “And don’t run over the saplings!”

End


End file.
